SuitabookBadger and the great storm
Suzanne Chiew
- Reading
- Read together slowly, naming the animals and noticing their expressions. Pause before the new house is revealed to invite drawing or building ideas, then discuss how the acorn connects with the ending.
- Themes
- Helping others and reciprocity: Badger helps protect the other animals’ homes and belongings before attending to his own; they later help rebuild his home. The story presents practical help and mutual care as important ways for the community to respond to difficulty.
- Responding to frightening weather: The animals prepare their homes and belongings before the storm; Badger reassures them, and he shelters in Rabbit’s burrow overnight. The story shows practical preparation and shared shelter as responses to worries about severe weather, without establishing broader advice or guarantees.
- Loss, rebuilding and new beginnings: The oak tree falls and damages Badger’s home; the animals build a new house and plant an acorn for a future oak tree. The ending frames recovery through collective work and a symbol of future growth, though the longer-term outcome remains unstated.
- Worth knowing
- The storm is described as terrible, with wind, rain and fears among the animals; Badger’s home is damaged when the oak tree blows down. Consider whether your child would welcome talking through weather-related worry and change.