Perfectly Percy
You know what doesn&#x2019;t go together? Porcupines and balloons. And it&#x2019;s too bad because Percy loves balloons, and each time they go POP! on his quills, poor Percy&#x2019;s happiness pops with them. In this simple picture book, which features the brother of Pearl (Hugs from Pearl, 2011), a little porcupine&#x2019;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&#x2014;perhaps too much thinking (many spreads&#x2019; worth)&#x2014;before coming up with a solution. It&#x2019;s a slight story, but Percy is a charmer, with his unruly quills and pink button nose. Schmid&#x2019;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&#x2019;s a cheery fellow, and kids will likely find his joy to be contagious. Preschool-Grade 1. --Kelley, Ann