This charming and relatable story about being afraid brings back Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog, two of Britta Teckentrup’s many marvelous characters who embody human emotions young readers can identify with and easily understand.

From dark basements to deserted streets, swooping birds to cars’ glaring headlights, menacing foxes to friendly cats, the two friends spend a day and evening confronting things that are both frightful and harmless. As the two hedgehogs walk through their neighborhood, they talk casually about their fears and strategies for dealing with them—whistling, holding hands, counting, being still, and accepting kindness. Few children’s illustrators working today are able to capture nature’s lush colors and textures quite like Teckentrup.

Vibrating with warmth and charm, this gentle story offers valuable skills for identifying and dealing with the things that make us scared.