While this plot is not as strong as other Little Hedgehog outings, fans will enjoy another cozy Christmas story about the...
Little Hedgehog celebrates another happy Christmas with his animal buddies in this latest entry in a popular series.
This time the group of friends is spending several days leading up to Christmas at Little Hedgehog’s comfortable home. They decorate their Christmas tree together in harmonious fashion on the first night, but after their second night sleeping on the floor together, everyone is in a cranky mood. Someone was snoring, someone else couldn’t sleep, a third someone stole cookies off the Christmas tree, and worst of all, Little Hedgehog has lost his special red hat. On Christmas morning, Little Hedgehog receives a new red hat knitted by Badger, and the old red hat is discovered hidden in the Christmas tree with a sleeping squirrel nestled inside. The squirrel joins in the Christmas morning festivities as the animals play with their Christmas toys. As in previous entries in the series, Little Hedgehog’s hat has a flocked, velvety surface that adds an additional layer of interest to the appealing, large-format illustrations. The animals are cute and cuddly as always, especially Little Hedgehog, and their outdoor activities, including skating and sledding, complement the warm, comfortable indoor scenes of the burrow decorated for the holiday.
While this plot is not as strong as other Little Hedgehog outings, fans will enjoy another cozy Christmas story about the endearing creature and his special hat. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-68010-068-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Aug. 20, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2017
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it.
What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island?
“Everything was just right on the island.” Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill—”This must be where I belong”—is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg—and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches—her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown’s clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz’s world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz’s animal neighbors and Brightbill’s maturation.
A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9780316669467
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school...
The familiar theme of the challenges facing a new kid in town is given an original treatment by photographer Border in this book of photos of three-dimensional objects in a simple modeled landscape.
Peanut Butter is represented by a slice of white bread spread with the popular condiment. The other characters in the story—a hamburger with a pair of hot dogs in tow, a bowl of alphabet soup, a meatball jumping a rope of spaghetti, a carton of French fries and a pink cupcake—are represented by skillfully crafted models of these foods, anthropomorphized using simple wire construction. Rejected by each character in turn in his search for playmates, Peanut Butter discovers in the end that Jelly is his true match (not Cupcake, as the title suggests), perhaps because she is the only one who looks like him, being a slice of white bread spread with jelly. The friendly foods end up happily playing soccer together. Some parents may have trouble with the unabashedly happy depiction of carbs and American junk food (no carrots or celery sticks in this landscape), and others may find themselves troubled by the implication that friendship across difference is impossible.
Still, preschoolers will likely savor this mouthwatering treatment of a subject that looms large in many early school experiences. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 29, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16773-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
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