PORCUPINING: A Prickly Love Story

Little, Brown, 2002. 1st Edition 4th Printing. Hardcover. New/New. Janie Bynum, the great, color illustrations. CONDITION: NEW 2002 Little, Brown hardcover (pictorial boards) & dust jacket (in mylar cover), first edition, 4th printing. Wonderfully sweet and funny color illustrations by Janie Bynum. Decorated end pages. Tiny edge wear spot top DJ spine edge. CONTENT: What could be more poignant than a porcupine pining for a companion? With prose filled with puns and pleasing pictures, this passionate tale of love and friendship between two prickly creatures in a petting zoo makes a perfect read aloud. Alone and unloved in the petting zoo, Cushion the porcupine laments his single state. He writes a four-line ditty expressing his woes and decides to court potential partners with a soulful serenade. Surprised and dismayed by his negative reception and totally unaware of the disparaging innuendoes in his personalized lyrics (he croons, "And though you're pink and fat," to the pig; "And though your teeth are bucky," to the beaver), he is about to give up when he meets Barb, a similarly solitary hedgehog. It's love at first sight-no "se-quill" necessary. This sweet and silly saga of the earnest but clueless lothario is a nicely paced combination of story and song (you'll need to make up your own brief tune) accompanied by cheerful watercolor-and-pastel illustrations. Cushion and friends are winsome and expressive and a little grasshopper companion that appears throughout the story is fun to locate. The full-bleed art will work well with an audience while the clever details and puns will bring a smile to children and adults alike. Sure to generate knowing and sympathetic chuckles. PreSchool-Grade 1+ - Adults will love this boo, too.