Rubery Book Award

“A simple, but powerful story about a hedgehog who discovers that his normal route to the gardens where he sources his food has been blocked by a new fence. A bee, an ant, a spider and a worm offer help, and together they consider many possibilities, none of which work. They try pushing Hedgehog up to the top, then squeezing him through a tiny hole, and then building a mound of stones which immediately collapses when he climbs up. They even come up with an ingenious method of catapulting Hedgehog from a seesaw, which inevitably ends in comical disaster.  Nothing works until a rat comes along and gnaws a hole to get through.  

“The illustrations are strong and clear, while changes in size and style of text reflect the enormous efforts gone to by the animals.  The book gives a powerful message about resourcefulness and co-operation and the more obvious need to allow spaces for hedgehogs to move around. There’s no sense, however, that the reader is being lectured.  

“It’s a lovely funny book for younger children, beautifully illustrated.”

Rubery Book Award, Judges