Tired of apples, worms, and roots, Badger sets off in search of something more appealing to eat. Mole taco with salsa? Rat burger with cheese sauce? Rabbit-banana split with hot fudge? Every animal he encounters presents a tasty possibility, but each creature gets away before he can capture it. By the time he has a run-in with a horse and is sent flying with a kick back to his hole, Badger has come to appreciate what he already has . . . or rather had. His food is gone, with only a note of explanation left behind: “Dear Whoever Lives Here, Sorry for dropping by uninvited. A nasty badger was chasing us . . . The apples, worms and roots were delicious. Thanks for the fancy meal!” Badger’s disappointment won’t be a big surprise to readers and listeners who have been paying attention to author/illustrator Keiko Kasza’s charming visual storytelling, which incorporates small inset pictures of the mole, rat, and rabbit taking refuge in a handy hole and finding a feast inside. (Ages 3–7)

Badger just can't face eating the same old apples, worms, and roots. They're too boring! He dreams of eating something new and fancy. Badger gets some yummy ideas from seeing the animals who live near his den, but the main ingredients he tries to catch aren't so eager to become his lunch. And in the end, they unwittingly convince Badger that he should have appreciated what he had in the first place.