Amazon.com Review
Lonely little Hedgehog sits at her kitchen table in a pink dress with prickles poking out here and there, ready for company.
It would be awfully nice,
it would be a lot of fun,
if her friends stopped by.
Then she wouldn't be just
ONE.
Luckily Hedgehog doesn't have long to wait. Pretty soon, Uncle Will shows up and makes TWO. Then along comes Elephant: "Count me, then we'll be THREE." One by one, her good friend Duck, a sad little teddy bear, a zealously leaping frog, an exuberant pig, a tip-toeing baby in a puppy-ear hat, Alexandersson the Brazilian monkey, and a small black cat bring the tea party total to 10. The motley crew, with their charmingly mismatched teacups and assorted accoutrements (Elephant carries a pacifier on a ribbon, Alexandersson brings his own banana), once assembled, wave bye-bye to the reader and take off for the movies.
Lena Anderson's watercolors in this gentle counting book are picture perfect, reminiscent of Lillian and Russell Hoban's Frances books (Bread and Jam for Frances, among others). Readers young and old will fall in love with each lovable, unique critter. This story is a delightful companion to Anderson's time-telling story, Tick-Tock. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter
From Publishers Weekly
The cast of Tick-Tock makes a return engagement in this sweetly puckish counting book. Hedgehog, who's "sitting in her kitchen feeling very lonely today," looks disconsolate as she rests her head on the table, her long snout pushing the tablecloth into disarray. Soon, there's a knock at the door, and in comes Uncle Will the rabbit ("Hurrah! Now we are TWO"). She smoothes out the tablecloth, adds a flower in a vase, and with each new guest, Hedgehog sets another teacup on her table. Before long, a most convivial group of 10 has assembled, including Duck, Pig, Teddy and a toddler named Lottie in a furry dog hood. Anderson's low-key couplets ("Another friend hops in./ With his legs he kicks./ Welcome, little Frog./ There's room enough for SIX") and cozy vignettes will appeal to a preschooler's sensibilities, and judicious splashes of red perk up the soft, understated palette (Hedgehog's tiny red shoes and a red-and-white polka-dot teacup are particularly charming). A final glimpse of the band of friends, each one shown in a separate vignette, exiting in the order in which he or she arrived--with Hedgehog bringing up the rear--gives little ones a chance to make a final count of the tea party bon vivants. Ages 1-3. (Apr.)
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