THE PRICKLY PROBLEM

In DaVeiga’s picture book, a porcupine doctor and his neighbors must collaborate to help someone who’s hurting.

Dr. Pete the Porcupine regularly provides potions and hugs to locals, including Jake the Snake, Sting the Scorpion, Rhoda the Roadrunner, and Liz the Lizard. One day, Jake, Sting, Rhoda, and Liz all complain about mean Cactus Jack, who constantly insults passersby; they hope that Dr. Pete’s potions might help. After the entire group gives Cactus Jack an examination, three potions, Heart Hurt Healing Jelly, and a hug, he apologizes for hurting people’s feelings. The text and illustrations work in tandem to enhance the desert theme with unusual animal types. Warm, background earth tones contrast with cooler character colors. Peres’ full-color cartoon illustrations also effectively establish the passage of time and present facial expressions that are easy to understand. Dr. Pete is a wise, gentle protagonist with quills that present like a lion’s mane. On occasion, the crowded illustrations slightly obscure the text. The story’s themes—bullying, prickly behavior, and helping others—will make for an engaging read for youngsters. The alliteration adds some fun, and the characters’ prickliness provides a bit of humor.

A heartwarming story and a nice addition to a child’s social-emotional library.