Perfectly Percy
You know what doesn’t go together? Porcupines and balloons. And it’s too bad because Percy loves balloons, and each time they go POP! on his quills, poor Percy’s happiness pops with them. In this simple picture book, which features the brother of Pearl (Hugs from Pearl, 2011), a little porcupine’s only goal is to come up with a way to play with his favorite thing without having it shrivel away. This involves a lot of thinking—perhaps too much thinking (many spreads’ worth)—before coming up with a solution. It’s a slight story, but Percy is a charmer, with his unruly quills and pink button nose. Schmid’s pencil-line illustrations highlight Percy, and sometimes members of his family, while keeping the backgrounds plain and the props effectively to a minimum. This has the same soothing pastel backgrounds seen in Hugs from Pearl, and they contrast nicely with all the spikiness. Percy’s a cheery fellow, and kids will likely find his joy to be contagious. Preschool-Grade 1. --Kelley, Ann