Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hedgehog Jacques girds his loins while preparing to make a big announcement: he loves to wear underwear. The spiny mammal anticipates ridicule and even exile ("Hedgehogs eat grubs. Hedgehogs make nests. Hedgehogs snort with their sniffly snouts. They don't wear underwear!"). To his amazement, the declaration quickly gives way to similar reveals from other hedgehogs--fans of cowboy boots, feather boas, and more. French-inflected dialogue appears throughout Valdez's sublimely silly solo debut (one hedgehog asks if underwear is "un chapeau pour your patootie"), and freewheeling gouache cartooning renders the characters as quirky parallelograms with pointy noses. Yet just beneath the giggle-inducing surface is an affirming invitation to bring one's true self to whatever one does. Ages 3--6. (Apr.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: "I wear real, bona fide underwear." Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note "from the Universe" floating down into Jacques' burrow. Hedgehogs don't wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: "I have to wear them. When I do I feel special." Determined, Jacques, who's been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques' declaration ("I WEAR UNDERWEAR") is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor. Sure to have little ones giggling.(Picture book. 3-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
