Mr. Prickly
Mr. Prickly
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 | December 1, 2026
praise for Mr. Prickly
“A perfect solace for any stressed kiddo, with its acknowledgement that different people (or, in this case, animals) move at different speeds, and that it's okay, and often necessary, to leave some tasks uncompleted… readers will breathe a sigh of relief alongside their new hedgehog hero when he remembers to take the time to find his joy.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
praise for BEtina BIrkjær AND Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard
"A sympathetic exploration of the dance between agency and anxiety in conquering a common childhood fear."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"This perceptive exploration of big feelings both allows the protagonist to take actions that validate their experience and lets readers know they’re not alone."—Publishers Weekly