Hedgehog's Fairytale tree

 Pia Perkiö 2018: Siilin satupuu
Illustrated by Pia Sakki

The magic of the forest. Hedgehog and its friends are the main characters of this book.  The book is written in poem form, and the stories are easy to follow by the smallest listeners.

Fox is delivering messages across town, frog is preparing for a jumping competition. Rabbit offers squirrel some hot juice on their skiing trip.

In the spring hedgehog has its birthday and hugs everyone. Luckily there are enough band-aids, if the spikes are too rough.

Water goblin (vesihiisi) tells stories on Sundays at five.


Summertime makes the foxes fall in love, mole keeps a daycare for worms. (This is kind of scary, since moles eat worms. But let's not tell this to the kids. Maybe its a vegetarian mole.)

In the fall, the spiders weave a blanket, the squirrel grandpa makes porridge,the rabbi catches a train and a fox hears a lullaby.

Lovely poems and super cute illustrations. I am kind of sad, my boys think they are too old for this kind of poems, but I get my sons to read this, because there are few words and this is fast to read.

In Hedgehog's garden

Marjo Nygård 2017: Kaikessa on itua, siilin puutarhassa

Hedgehog is an eager gardener. Its work starts already, when there is still snow on the ground. Its kitchen turns into a greenhouse, there are pots and jars everywhere filled with seedlings.

In the beginning of June, it is time to take the plants outside. Hedgehog is excited and is amazed how much energy is required to grow from seed to a big plant. In hedgehog's garden something is going on all the time. The gardener plans, creates, tries, fails and ties again.

The weeds have taken over hedgehog's garden plot, but the hedgehog sees them as wild vegetables. The first harvest is ready!

Garden is also underground.

When working on turning the vegetable garden, it remembers the mole's house underground. Don't dig too deep or the roof will collapse. Mr. Mole also loves hedgehog's veggies, so if hedgehog wants something to eat in the winter, it has to come up with something to keep the mole away. 

Hedgehog builds a new vegetable garden above the ground level and lays first a fabric, then some stone, another layer of fabric, then some leaves and soil. That will keep Mr. Mole away.

There are other visitors in Hedgehog's garden: caterpillars, plant lice and mites just to name a few. Hedgehog attacks them with nettle water.

When fall comes, Hedgehog invites Mr. Mole for a garden party, where they enjoy the yammies from Hedgehog's garden.

At this time of year (end of February)  I have already had enough of winter just like our hero the Hedgehog. I have dug out my hydrangea from the garaged, where they spent the last three months.  I try not to plant any seed, because at some point I always forget to water them and they die. I rely on the local nurseries, which I raid at the end of May and beginning of June. In April I startlooking at my garden and try to remember what I planted last fall and am always surprised to see the flowers that do show up.

This book is wonderful, it covers pest conrol, underground work and all the aspects of gardening. I hope some children will get excited about plants and animals in the garden.

Spikeball outside

Tuula Nyström 2017: Piikkipallo ihan pihalla
Illustrations by Laila Nevakivi

Very educational book about hedgehogs. The book shows how to build a winterhouse for hedgehogs, what to feed them.

Hedgehogs are rare to bee seen, mostly because they move after sunset. The only time I have seen a hedgehog, is when they have been hit by a car. I wonder, if I make a a winter house, will the hedgehogs come? And even if I follow instructions, will the houses be safe for them? Will my eagerness to help hedgehogs some way harm hedgehogs, because I cannot think of all scenarios, what could happen?

Different types of spiked animals and
also hedgehogs without spikes

Hedgehogs can swim, eat snakes and lots of other things.