Tidy
Emily Gravett
Shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2017
From the creator of Meerkat Mail and Dogs, comes a very funny rhyming woodland story about the perils of being too tidy.
Pete the badger likes everything to be neat and tidy at all times, but what starts as the collecting of one fallen leaf escalates quickly and ends with the complete destruction of the forest! Will Pete realise the error of his ways and set things right?
Lush foliage and delightfully funny characters abound in this dramatic tale of overzealous neatness that delivers its message of environmental preservation with subtlety and humour. The freshness and vibrancy of the illustrations, the endearing charm of the animal characters, and the many deft comic details throughout make this a very special book. With a sumptuous double-sided jacket and a breathtaking series of die-cuts from the cover through to the title page, once you enter this forest, you’ll never want to leave.
Emily Gravett’s engaging woodland creatures will appeal to fans of such classics as The Animals of Farthing Wood and The Wind in the Willows and the rhythmic, rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud.
Reviews
The lesson is never over tidy. I saw this at the theatre and it was absolutely outstanding. If you ever go to a theatre and see this, I recommend it to you.
Duchess Ariel Pinkerton 27.07.2026
It was funny that he emptied the entire forest and covered it with concrete. And he had no place to get in his place for sleeping and eating. Then the next morning he broke the concrete down with the help of weak and strong animals.
Lord Merlin Paperclip 20.07.2026
A sweet story about a badger and lessons learned
Count Chilli Frozen-Peas 16.07.2026
Funny, would recommend to someone else. One of the best.
Constable Mars Legend 11.07.2026
I loved it!
Superintendent Augustus Hammersmith 26.01.2026
Great book with a great story about keeping things tidy but a little mess is always welcome ! i would recommend this book :)
Sir Dobbin Volcano 04.09.2025
One of my favourite books ever
Superintendent Adolpho Luther 04.09.2025
I liked everything. It was amazing.
Major Chilli Jellybaby 24.08.2025
Good recommendations for the environment
Viscountess Flopsy Quarantine 19.08.2025
Brilliant story
Judge Birthday-cake Bookmark 19.07.2025
I don’t think the badger should have made the forest into concrete and roads.
Empress Tulip Paddington 15.07.2025
I liked this book a little bit. A badger was tidying up the forest. He cleaned up the leaves during autumn, then there was flood and mud , he got tired of cleaning so he made concrete on top of the ground .
Coach Crocodile Banana 20.05.2025
Star Reviewer
Brilliant story
King Carnaby Vesuvius 08.08.2024
This book teaches me how to tidy up
Don Race-car Heronimus 08.08.2024
Badgers are funny and the badger is the best part about it. I would recommend this book because it’s funny and I learned not to be too tidy.
Senor Mandrake Bonsai 06.08.2024
I liked it when badger chopped all the trees down. It was funny
Corporal Race-car Rollercoaster 02.08.2024
It was ok
Chief Crocodile Bottlenose 28.12.2023
I liked it
Duchess Sapphire Casserole 28.12.2023
I thought this book had a lovely message I liked it when he was tidying all the time and thought it was funny when he couldn’t get to his house. It was good to learn that the trees take some of the rain water which is why it didn’t flood when the trees were there but did flood when they weren’t.
Countess Ariel Toothpaste 01.09.2023
Star Reviewer
A very good book to people to read
Commander Quincy Tyrannosaurus 18.08.2023
