Review by Horn Book Review
Roommates Skunk and Badger (Skunk and Badger, rev. 1/21; Egg Marks the Spot) are now caring for two rat pups, Zeno and Zephyr. Badger, true to form, has exacting plans in mind ("Find the right routine and everything falls into place chunk, chunk, chunk") and balks when the less-structured reality sets in. Rats, it turns out, don't sleep at night, and in fact that's when they get their most innovatively disruptive ideas (e.g., dental-floss ziplines). Meanwhile, a deadline looms for Badger's latest Rock Hound Weekly article, and though the more easygoing Skunk tries his darndest to be helpful, Badger's procrastination is compounded by the chaos...and then by his own natural sleep cycle. The third-person narration, which sticks to Badger's point of view, again uses sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structure, providing a challenge for readers who've cut their teeth on simpler mismatched-friend stories. "Who knew you could not say 'goodnight,' close the door, and expect Zeno and Zephyr to utilize their bunk beds?" But that challenge comes with plenty of humor, and many readers will likely recognize themselves or others they know in Badger's difficulty in dealing with the unexpected. Black-and-white illustrations with an old-fashioned feel are occasionally interspersed, some with captions from the text; one showing the kitchen crisscrossed with string and captioned "a room webbed" is a highlight. Shoshana FlaxNovember/December 2025 p.80 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Old friends return with new wards in this beloved series. What do a skunk and a badger know about raising baby rats? Surprisingly little. In this third installment in the Skunk and Badger series--followingEgg Marks the Spot (2021)--events have led the titular roommates to welcome the young rats Zephyr and Zeno into their home this winter. At first all goes swimmingly, with Badger convinced that he has time to write his first article forRock Hound Weekly. Unfortunately, soon the rats are constructing zip lines, barrel racing, and launching unexpected--and unasked-for--scavenger hunts while their exhausted guardians clean up. As Badger stresses over his article, Skunk calls in reinforcements in the form of his chicken friends. But when Badger accidentally hibernates at just the wrong moment, is disaster inevitable? Readers enchanted by previous installments will have no difficulty following the duo's further adventures, though newcomers would be wise to start at the series' beginning. Badger's focus on his rock work feels particularly adult at times, yet Timberlake's descriptions of his obsessions often result in lovely prose ("The land is a book written by a glacier"). Distractions aside, the beating heart of the series remains the friendship between seemingly gruff Badger and sunny Skunk. Capturing snowfall and cozy scenes indoors, Klassen's accompanying art imbues the storytelling with both a classic feel and an understated wit. Like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day.(Fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
