Badger's Parting Gifts

Badger's Parting Gifts is a children's book, written and illustrated by Susan Varley. It uses a community of anthropomorphic animals to portray death, mourning, and remembrance.

Badger is old and feels himself dying. He leaves a note: "Gone down the Long Tunnel. Bye Bye, Badger."

The other animals of the community, particularly Mole, mourn Badger's death, but gradually come to less painful rememberance and to smiling as they share memories of what Badger taught each of them.

Badger's Parting Gifts was first published in 1984 by Andersen Press Ltd in Great Britain. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books printed the first U.S.A. edition in the same year. (ISBN 0688026990. Library binding 0688027032.)