Holly Hobbie

"Toot and Puddle are determined to figure out who keeps eating all the vegetables in their garden every night"--

Elmore is a porcupine desperate to make friends. But it is hard to seek closeness with others when you're covered with spikes that shoot off your back every so often. Elmore suffers rejection and heartbreak, but the goodness of his forest community ultimately shines through as the animals find a way to connect with this prickly bundle of love.

Delayed by a snowstorm, Toot gets unexpected help getting back to Woodcock Pocket in time to celebrate Christmas with Puddle.

Through her watercolor paintings, the author vividly depicts the journey of a toad in its natural habitat, from early springtime mud to the lily pads of summer, in this nearly wordless book about survival and renewal.

"Elmore the porcupine has made many friends in the forest. But he longs for a best friend. Being a prickly porcupine doesn't make that easy. Pinky the skunk would aslo like a best friend. In their day-to-day encounters with each other, and following an especially adventurous event, thebest friend unexpectedly reveals himself. He has been there all along"--