School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Little Hedgehog and his animal friends can't wait to celebrate Christmas morning together. Fox, Badger, Rabbit, and the Mice family are staying with Little Hedgehog in his tiny burrow. The friends joyfully spend their days getting ready for the celebration. But at bedtime, Hedgehog's cramped quarters are a bit of a challenge. The friends quickly discover that their togetherness can be too much of a good thing. Can Little Hedgehog and his friends make it happily to Christmas day? This accessible plot focuses on holiday togetherness, with the minor mystery of disappearing items easily solved. The pastel artwork is detailed and bright, nicely presenting each animal's frustrations and joys. But what sets this apart is the display of human emotions these animals share. VERDICT A simple Christmas tale with a strong focus on friendship and intimacy. Perfect for a holiday storytime.-Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Little Hedgehog celebrates another happy Christmas with his animal buddies in this latest entry in a popular series. This time the group of friends is spending several days leading up to Christmas at Little Hedgehog's comfortable home. They decorate their Christmas tree together in harmonious fashion on the first night, but after their second night sleeping on the floor together, everyone is in a cranky mood. Someone was snoring, someone else couldn't sleep, a third someone stole cookies off the Christmas tree, and worst of all, Little Hedgehog has lost his special red hat. On Christmas morning, Little Hedgehog receives a new red hat knitted by Badger, and the old red hat is discovered hidden in the Christmas tree with a sleeping squirrel nestled inside. The squirrel joins in the Christmas morning festivities as the animals play with their Christmas toys. As in previous entries in the series, Little Hedgehog's hat has a flocked, velvety surface that adds an additional layer of interest to the appealing, large-format illustrations. The animals are cute and cuddly as always, especially Little Hedgehog, and their outdoor activities, including skating and sledding, complement the warm, comfortable indoor scenes of the burrow decorated for the holiday. While this plot is not as strong as other Little Hedgehog outings, fans will enjoy another cozy Christmas story about the endearing creature and his special hat. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
