Hedgehugs
(Hedgehugs #1)

PreS-Gr 1--Horace and Hattie are two hedgehog friends who share many things in common. They both like splashing in puddles and making daisy chains. Nonetheless, they express their own individual uniqueness as well. One problem is that they cannot give each other a big hug because they are too spiky. Horace and Hattie try various methods to hug throughout the year. For example, in the winter they rolled in the snow, but the hug was too cold. Finally they come up with a solution all by themselves. Illustrations have a colorful background collage appearance that displays cloth textures in the grass and in the leaves and flower petals. The characters are endearing when they solve their hug problem. VERDICT Suitable for Valentine's Day or any other time a book about a warm friendship feeling is needed.--Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

The husband-and-wife team of Wilson and Tapper introduces Horace and Hattie, hedgehogs who are "the very best of friends" but can't figure out how to hug each other. It's a familiar picture book conceit, though the collaborators do include at least one novel element--after having no success using snow ("too cold"), logs ("too bumpy"), strawberries ("too sticky"), and leaves ("too scratchy") to buffer their quills, wearing spare socks like onesies does the trick. "So the next time... one of your socks goes missing, you know what it means," write the authors, solving one of life's great mysteries. Ages 4-8. (Dec.)