Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom

Instead of being cute like her ancestors, classroom pet Scorch, a round-bodied hedgehog trapped in a classroom’s “glass castle,” hopes that “her destiny will be ferocious! She will be forged in FIRE.” But despite the best efforts of the self-described “Hedgehog of Doom,” the children of classroom 402 coo over how “adorable” she is. Increasingly frustrated, Scorch vows on an apple slice, “I will be doomsy,” and overnight “flies on her strategy wheel.” When the children arrive in the morning, though, their reaction to her antics remains the same (“She thrusts her fangs into a papaya. ‘Awww!’ they sigh”). Grasso’s action-oriented digital renderings amplify Scorch’s tough persona with spiky spines and focused eyes. When the mammalian fighter accidentally catapults into the class snake’s nearby terrarium, Berry turns the narrative toward suspense—until the protagonist discovers an overlooked superpower. Subtly encouraging perspective-taking, it’s a winningly creature-centric comedy that’s ferociously fun. Human characters are portrayed with varied skin tones. Ages 4–8. (July)