Septimus is a fastidious, solitary badger living in a little cottage by the sea. Because he has spots instead of typical badger stripes on his nose, prefers the seaside to the traditional forest habitat of badgers, and likes drinking tea and listening to opera, he considers himself a “bad badger.” Sometimes he wonders if he even is a badger. Septimus’s first foray into friendship is with a seagull who starts hanging out on his porch, although Gully doesn’t say much. Septimus mostly infers his new friend’s feelings. All seems well until two outings lead to rough spots: Septimus’s choice of a tandem bike seems inconsiderate of his winged companion in retrospect, while a trip to the beach is eye-opening for Septimus as he watches Gully swoop gracefully over the sea, but it’s also annoyingly sandy. Despite Gully’s gift of a shell for Septimus’s collection, Septimus worries that they don’t have enough in common to be friends. A quirky, tender story full of laugh-out-loud moments (Septimus’s motto: “Badger safe than sorry”) and important revelations about friendship and identity (e.g., it turns out that Septimus’s spots are “well within the parameters of badgerhood”) is full of sweet and satisfying surprises. The occasional full-page black-and-white illustrations brim with warmth and charm. (Ages 7-10)