How Do You Hug a Porcupine?    by Laurie Isop & Gwen Millward Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2011 (2011) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch It certainly presents a prickly problem, but there must somehow be a way to hug a porcupine. The youngsters featured in this picture book for children three years of age and up love hugging animals. And while they can easily hug cows, dogs, cats, bunnies and small pigs, the porcupine’s sharp quills require special skills, and giving him a hardy hug presents a real challenge. Now a hedgehog is a little prickly, but if you place your hands under his tummy you can at least hold him. An ostrich presents another problem and hugging him is a little tricky. If he cooperates, though, and leans down, you can give him a quick squeeze or friendly hug around is skinny neck. But a porcupine? Well, lots of luck! They just aren't soft and furry, so even petting this critter presents a huge problem. An elephant is so big that all you can really do is hug his trunk, On the other hand, nestling up to a skunk is probably something you won't want to do. Kangaroos are very hard to catch and so are dolphins if you aren't a good swimmer. I think a panda looks very huggable, but a porcupine? Well, I'm just not too sure! Sure, his quills defend the porcupine from his foes but what about his friends? What if they want to show their affection and give the little prickly fellow a big hug? Really, how do you hug a porcupine? You'll get the surprising answer to this thorny question on the final page of this humorous picture book. This fun, silly tale is told in a jaunty rhyme, which makes it one your children will enjoy hearing over and over again at story time. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews