Dan Pinto

Today is Valentine’s Day and Hedgehug has prepared a heart card to give to an animal he loves, but as he meets different animals in the forest he is rejected time and time again. Just when he is about to give up on love he receives a special card and he is happy again. Each page has a small amount of text and the book is paced quickly, so children will not get bored or want to turn the page before the text has been read. In fact, the illustrations really make this book what it is. They are painted, but appear as a sort of collage where some parts of the spread overlap. The paintings make use of several techniques so many different textures appear, and the illustrator makes use of bright, warm hues in unexpected places (a pink sky in one picture and a purple sky and trees in another). The warm colors fit well with the Valentine’s Day theme, and cool colors are used when Hedgehug decides that love hurts. This would be a perfect text to share with young children around Valentines Day because it shows the many emotions people have while experiencing love and rejection, but in a light, happy-ending way. The first three animals did not want Hedgehut’s heart, but after reading this adorable picture book readers will!… (mer)