Tidy
on Goodreads (1,632)
What’s inside...
Pete the badger likes to keep the forest neat and tidy. But sometimes it's good to know when to stop! In this save-the-environment picture book by award-winning author and illustrator Emily Gravett, Pete learns that being overly tidy isn’t always the best thing for the environment.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
4-8
Length
40 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
How do you think Badger feels when everything is clean, and what does that tell us about taking things too far?
What changes did you notice in the forest before and after Badger tidied up?
Why is it important to have a balance between being tidy and keeping the environment healthy?
How can we apply Badger's lessons in our everyday life to help take care of our planet?
Tip: Role play these questions
Encourage your child to express their thoughts on the story’s ending, and discuss different aspects of the outcome with them.
Draw parallels between Badger’s behavior and real-life situations to help your child relate to the story and its moral.
Ask your child to imagine different scenarios where tidying up could be beneficial or detrimental, enhancing their critical thinking.
Promote empathy by discussing the impact of Badger's actions on the other forest animals and the environment.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: The importance of balance in life
Explanation: In 'Tidy', Pete the badger becomes obsessed with keeping the forest neat to the point of destroying its natural beauty. This storyline underlines the lesson that too much of anything, even good things like cleanliness, can be detrimental.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to appreciate moderation and balance in various aspects of life, such as balancing playtime with chores or screen time with other activities.
Example Lesson: Respecting and preserving nature
Explanation: As Pete tries to tidy up the forest, he ends up doing more harm than good, which teaches that nature has its own order that needs to be respected.
Real-World Application: This lesson can help children understand the importance of environmental conservation and encourage behaviors like recycling, not littering, and preserving natural habitats in their own communities.
Example Lesson: Acceptance of imperfections
Explanation: The story culminates in Pete realizing that the forest was better off with its natural, untidy state, which can help children learn that imperfections are natural and acceptable.
Real-World Application: This can encourage children to accept and embrace their own imperfections and those of others around them, fostering a sense of self-esteem and tolerance.
Example Lesson: Consequences of actions
Explanation: Pete’s actions in trying to clean the forest lead to negative consequences, which he then attempts to rectify. This represents the idea that all actions have consequences.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to think about the outcomes of their actions before acting and understand the significance of taking responsibility for their actions.
Example Lesson: Problem-solving and critical thinking
Explanation: When Pete realizes the damage he has caused, he thinks of a solution to restore the forest. This shows problem-solving in action.
Real-World Application: It encourages children to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, vital for overcoming challenges and making decisions in daily life.