PORCUPINING

A banjo-strumming, blues-singing porcupine (named Cushion) searches for someone who does not find him too prickly to love. A petting zoo is hardly the place for a porcupine, especially a lonely one. With his habitat plastered with “No petting” and “Do not touch” signs, it is no wonder that this barbed but lovable creature is in need of love. Attempting to find another who is unafraid of his quills, he sets out, banjo in paw, to try and woo a mate. Cushion tries hard to interest one of the rabbits, but his verse “rabbits aren’t too icky” doesn’t do the trick and results in some verbal insults and a few carrots thrown his way. The pigs and the beavers are equally unimpressed with his lyrics. Spying a pen with signs similar to the ones posted outside his abode, Cushion peers in at the inhabitant. A sweet and shy hedgehog named Barb smiles out at him and invites him in a bit closer. Her harmonica-playing and equally prickly coat make them a perfect pair. Amusing watercolor and pastel illustrations perfectly accompany this silky smooth romance. (Picture book. 4-7)