When a great wind blows apart Little Hedgehog’s nest, he snuggles into his vivid orange-and-red hat, scarf and mittens. Hedgehog, of One Snowy Night (2005), ventures into the storm to seek shelter with his friend Badger. As he journeys through the woods, he discovers, first, a family of field mice shivering in the long grass. Without hesitation, he gives them his hat. Soon he happens upon Otter and gives him his mittens. As the cold worsens, Hedgehog meets a deer and her shivering fawn. He doesn’t hesitate to offer his scarf. When he finally reaches the welcoming hearth of Badger’s house, he is but a prickly snowball. As we see the ultimate outcome of Hedgehog’s actions, this sweet story becomes a testament to kindness. The bright woolens are of a tactile velvety flocking, and the art depicts the windswept and snow dotted landscape in deep greens, rich browns and gray-blue. Little Hedgehog’s tender story is about true compassion and pure generosity, illustrating how goodness rarely goes unnoticed. (Picture book. 2-6)
