In this fourth story about Little Hedgehog, he prepares for Christmas with the help of his forest friends, creating homemade decorations and gifts before hosting a holiday gathering in his cozy burrow.
As in all the Little Hedgehog stories, there is an added textural highlight in the illustrations, this time with sparkles of glitter added to certain Christmas decorations, such as ribbons, strings of paper snowflakes and snow banks and snow-covered trees in the outdoor scenes. The sparkling effect is also used for Little Hedgehog’s Santa hat and Christmas packages on the cover illustration and interwoven into the plot, as Little Hedgehog tries to make his homemade decorations fancier and his house more “Christmas-y.” In several endearing illustrations, Little Hedgehog has pieces of glittery paper stuck on the quills on his back, reinforcing his earnest, innocent personality. Though the story is slight and the dialogue often trite, there is some dramatic tension when Little Hedgehog walks through the snowy moonlit forest, feeling a bit scared before bumping into his friend, Fox.
The overall effect is sparkling, cozy and festive, just the results the cute little critter was seeking for his holiday celebration. (Picture book. 3-5)
