Hedgehog, Pig, and the Sweet Little Friend - Hardcover

LENA ANDERSON is the author of Hedgehog’s Secret, Tick-Tock, and Tea for Ten, as well as the illustrator of many books, including the best-selling Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Björk. She lives in Stockholm, Sweden.

PreSchool-Grade 1—As Hedgehog and Pig are enjoying a late supper, there's a knock at the door from a tearful lost piglet. Fia is immediately whisked inside, where she is comforted and fed. When she falls asleep with her head in her plate, Pig is smitten. The next morning, they all head into the village, where Fia is reunited with her baker mother. Sweet rolls are passed around in celebration of the reunion, and Pig declares his everlasting love for the sweet little porker. This tale of a child lost and found is never threatening or frightening, despite Fia's tears. Not even her mother, crisply attired in her chef's whites, looks the worse for wear, despite her missing offspring. The illustrations and their cozy details, such as the Blue Willow teapot, the radio on a shelf in the bakery, and the spikes peaking through the shoulders of Hedgehog's peach-colored dress, contribute to an overall feeling of benevolence and goodwill. The rhyming text reads smoothly. The subplot about Pig's adoration is slightly distracting, but why quibble about a picture book that is so sweet and comforting?—Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MA
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