How Little Porcupine Played Christmas

This book was unexpectedly adorable! I was hooked on the first page, when Little Porcupine gave his mama a "big, pinchy hug." The other animals ridicule him for being a "stick ball" and won't let him have a part in the "Baby in the Manger" play, but his mother calls him "the light of my life." He gets his chance to be the star of the play when the animals forget to put up a Christmas star. I love this book! It actually choked me up a bit at the end! We will be reading this one every year at Christmastime.

Simple yet profound, clever, yet touching, this masterful little story is a gem. To a heartbroken young porcupine who doesn't get a part in the Baby in the Manger play because the other animals taunt that a prickly porcupine is unsuitable for such an honor, the mother's oft-quoted words, "You are the light of my life!" are consoling. The surprise ending is touching and beautiful. The story fosters sensitivity, is superbly illustrated and full of laughter and tears, and the mother's words will become part of your own family life.