New Swedish Books, autumn 2019 1
21 Autumn 2019 The Sensitive Hedgehog On the insi
de cover of The Sensitive Hedgehog images of spiky blackberry brambles illustrate the theme of the book – how a prickly exterior might conceal a soft centre. Likewise the main character, a hedgehog, covers her fragile core with spiky spines and now wants to protect the delicate blackberry she has found amongst the brambles. The hedgehog decides not to eat it but to carefully carry it home. However, along the way, she comes up against animals with sharp beaks and claws that would also like to get hold of her treasure. Ulrika Kestere's depictions of the forest are imaginatively varied. Grassy knolls, clearings where mushrooms grow, wooded backdrops and streams trickling across the pages are interspersed with close-ups that zoom in on the animals’ fur. Drawn in a muted colour palette, the hedgehog’s fear alternates with moments of feeling safe depending on the size of the animal she encounters and where they are placed in relation to her on the page. The Sensitive Hedgehog demonstrates how the classic trope of attributing human qualities to animals is still vital when used with this level of attention to the text’s poetry, the harmony of its colours and the composition of the pages. Kestere is not reinventing the wheel but proves a worthy successor to such a tradition. Ulrika Kestere (b. 1988) The Sensitive Hedgehog, Picture book, 3–6 years, 32 p. Publisher Opal Bokförlag www.opal.se Rights Opal Anja Eriksson anja@opal.se Works Vilda grannar, picture book, 2017 Ottos ulliga tröja, picture book, 2018 Photo: Private