Mr. Badger and the Difficult Duchess by Leigh Hobbs

Allen and Unwin, 2011. ISBN 9781742374192.
Mr. Badger and the Difficult Duchess is a quirky story where the main character is a badger and he is the Manager of Special Events at the Boubles Grand Hotel. Mr. Badger is in charge of organising events and looking after special guests. He is the most patient creature you will ever meet. It is the day of the Philatelic Society's Annual Dinner and Mr. Badger's patience (and the rest of the hotel staff) is put to the test when an unusual royal guest arrives unannounced. The difficult duchess ends up being the most demanding guest ever!
I love how the author has used an animal as the main character and how the human characters treat him as an equal (plus he talks!). I would recommend the book for readers aged 8-10 years. It isn't a long story but there are black and white illustrations on each page to match the text and add visuals for the reader. There is also a lesson or two to be learned concerning the importance of patience and keeping calm because amazing things can happen no matter what goes wrong!
Kylie Kempster