No Hugs for Porcupine

In Porcupine’s neck of the woods, all of the other animals are hug crazy. That makes Porcupine the odd creature out—no one wants to get stuck by his quills. Lashing out in his loneliness (“I don’t need a hug from any of you!”), he heads off to sulk. Luckily, he meets Armadillo, who explains that there’s an alternative to hugging: a prickle-free kiss on the nose. With Armadillo’s assistance, Porcupine converts the entire forest from huggers to smoochers. Books about the hugging woes of hedgehogs and porcupines are many, but Waring’s story is powerful. Readers will instantly see the forest as a place that has become hidebound in its hugging, and it’s easy to feel the sting of being left out. When Porcupine finds someone who sees the world in a way that plays to his strengths, it’s a game changer. Waring (Truck, Truck, Goose!) heightens the impact of the denouement with the book’s only wordless spread: Porcupine and his friend must make their way across an expanse of moonlit forest before they can share their kissing breakthrough. Ages 3–6. [em]Agent: Alli Brydon, Bright Group. (Dec.) [/em]