THE LONGER THE WAIT, THE BIGGER THE HUG

All winter long, Hedgehog hibernates.

During this long sleep, Hedgehog dreams of Tortoise. Hedgehog and Tortoise are best friends, and the cold winter months are hard to survive without their usual best-friend hugs. When spring finally arrives, Hedgehog wakes up, eager to find Tortoise and to get that long-awaited hug. But Tortoise is missing, and no matter how hard Hedgehog looks, they can’t find their best friend. Although disappointed, Hedgehog tries to make the best of things. But Badger’s paws are too sticky to hold, Magpie turns out to be an extremely demanding beach playmate, and Squirrel is a disaster at hide-and-seek. Hedgehog keeps looking for Tortoise, but when Tortoise is still missing, Hedgehog starts to lose hope. Eventually, a wise owl advises Hedgehog that sometimes, if the wait is long, the reunion is especially rewarding—in other words, “the longer the wait, the bigger the hug.” Happily, Hedgehog’s patience pays off, and when Hedgehog and Tortoise are reunited (it turns out Tortoise slightly overslept), their first hug is as epic as Owl promised—so epic that the whole forest comes out to celebrate. This sweet, gentle picture book perfectly pairs sincere and humorous text with watercolor-and-pen sketches that utilize a soothing pastel palette. The storyline is simple, clean, and lively, and the book’s message makes it the perfect tool to start conversations about missing friends and family.

A gentle picture book about friendship, patience, and love.