Review by Booklist Review
One winter, a little hedgehog bakes cookies to give to her woodland neighbors. After pondering what to make for her best friend, Bear, she bakes and builds a large gingerbread house, mortared with icing, and loads it onto a sled. As the wind picks up, and the snow falls down, it becomes harder to push and pull her gift to Bear's home, which is just in sight when a powerful "whoosh" destroys the gingerbread house. Bear invites Hedgehog in to warm up and shows her the little cookie he has made for her. After sleeping in one of Bear's teacups, she spends the next day baking with him. The text concludes with the sentiment "A day with a friend is the best gift of all." While visual clues (red and green decorations, a Christmas-tree-shaped cookie) suggest that the animals are celebrating Christmas, the holiday isn't mentioned. The story moves along well, while the gouache and colored-pencil illustrations contrast the wintry weather with cozy scenes inside the animals' homes. A sweet, appealing picture book for the season.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hedgehog has been hard at work baking and decorating cookies for her friends and neighbors--"snowflakes for the mice, trees for the squirrels, and a special rabbit for each rabbit. Hedgehog knows a LOT of rabbits." When the time comes to think of a gift for beloved friend Bear, Hedgehog deliberates, embarks on an epic bake of architectural proportions, and works to transport it through wind and snow until disaster paves the way for another kind of gift. Bell crafts a peaceful and contemplative story, sweet without turning saccharine, in a gentle setting--soft gouache and colored pencil illustrations portray a cozy animalian and domestic realm featuring winningly frosted baked goods, while task-oriented lines ("Brick by brick, swirl by swirl") hint at Hedgehog's determination. This genuinely heartfelt, quietly moving friendship story emphasizes that "a day with a friend is the best gift of all." Gingerbread and honey icing recipes included. Ages 3--7. (Sept.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Hedgehog has been baking cookies for her friends and neighbors, but "Bear should have a grand gift, a special gift, something wonderful...just like Bear." Nothing seems good enough until her home's decorations give her the best idea: a giant gingerbread house. When a gusty wind turns Hedgehog's creation into a pile of crumbs, Bear comes to her rescue and reveals her own present attempt, reminding the two just how well suited they are as friends. Red ribbons and berries plus snow-covered pines, wreaths, and other greenery give the gouache and colored-pencil illustrations a cheerful wintry feel. The front endpapers feature "Hedgehog's Gingerbread Cookies" and "Grandma's Honey Icing" recipes. Cynthia K. Ritter November/December 2022 p.12(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A tale about gifts, friends, and tasty treats. Hedgehog bakes gingerbread cookie gifts for her friends: The mice's cookies are shaped like snowflakes, the squirrels' are shaped like trees, and the rabbits each get a specially decorated rabbit cookie. But what about Bear? Bear is a special friend, after all. When Hedgehog arrives back home after delivering gifts, she sees the frosted roof of her cottage and is inspired. In step-by-step illustrations, she creates a wonderful gingerbread house for Bear--one that's even bigger than Hedgehog herself. The journey to deliver the finished house begins smoothly, but a whipping wind soon reduces the gift to crumbs. Bear rescues Hedgehog from the storm, and later, in the safety and warmth of home, Bear admits to making a mess of Hedgehog's gift earlier in the day and notes that they were planning to try again tomorrow. Happily, this admission leads to the best gift of all. Recipes for spice-laced gingerbread cookies and honey frosting begin the book, and perhaps all those spices keep this simple story about friendship and holiday gift giving from becoming too saccharine. Hedgehog is adorable, wearing emerald-green earmuffs, baking up a storm, and snuggling in a teacup bed. A bright-red ribbon winds through the story, artfully separating flashbacks from the present, linking baking steps, and focusing attention on important images. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Sure to sweeten holiday traditions with the true spirit of friendship. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
