The New Arrival

PreS-K—Sam, a young hedgehog, sets off to find a home and a friend in this quiet little offering with a European feel. Home, a lovely hollow at the base of a tree, is discovered quickly, but a friend proves more difficult to find. As Sam searches high and low, the illustrations, with their warm palette and cross-hatched drawings, reminiscent of the work of E. H. Shepard, allow young readers to see what hedgehog does not-that friends are all around, just waiting for him. When a tumble results in some broken quills, Sam uses them to post notices asking for a friend. In an odd twist, he pulls out almost all of his quills to continue posting notices that blow away in a storm. Happily, the other animals welcome him to the woodland and give him a knitted pullover (called a jumper here) to keep him warm until his quills grow back. An attractive addition for larger collections.—Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI