Anna margrethe kjærgaard
Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard is a well-established Danish illustrator. She trained at the Danish School of Design and Akademia Sztuk Pieknich in Poland. She has illustrated many stories, easy-readers, and picture books, including Mr. Prickly, with Betina Birkjær, and Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost (Enchanted Lion), a 2023 Batchelder Honor Book, also with Betina Birkjær. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Danish Ministry of Culture’s illustrator award.
Betina Birkjær
illustrated by Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard
Translated by Lindy Falk van Rooyen
From the author of Monster-Scared and the duo behind Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost (a 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book) comes a charming, beautifully illustrated story about being kind to yourself when things pile up.
There is so much for Mr. Prickly to do before hibernation: rake the leaves, fix the chair that tilts, put in one last load of darks before winter... He tries to tackle his chores as efficiently as his neighbors, but it’s an awfully long to-do list for a hedgehog.
Then a gust of wind pushes through the window, whirling everything around, even the words on his list. His heart begins to thump—what was he supposed to do? Rake the laundry? Wash the leaves? Will he be able to finish his list on time?
Mr. Prickly is a sweet and humorous spin on the tasks we struggle to tackle—and how the light of the morning can turn everything around.
Ages 3+ | Hardcover | 40 pages | ISBN: 9798893380712 | September 15, 2026