The Girl and the Hedgehog

On a pink-and-gold evening, Ruby notices a small spiny creature moving through the grass of her garden, followed by three tiny babies no bigger than plums. She wants to hold one and feel its soft tummy, but her father explains that wild animals need quiet and space, and that watching from a distance can be a kindness too. So Ruby sits very still in her red rubber boots and observes the hedgehog family as they search for beetles, roll a fallen apple with their noses, and tumble over one another in play.

Watching closely, Ruby sees something her parents have missed: the hedgehogs keep bumping into the fence, whose gaps are too narrow for them to pass through on their nightly search for food. With Dad's toolbox and Mum's rake, the family cuts a small arch at the bottom of a fence panel, piles leaves and twigs into cosy nests behind the shed, and sets out a dish of water. Ruby carries armfuls of dry leaves and waits impatiently for sunset. This gentle tale by Jane MEADOW shows young readers how to care for wildlife responsibly and can be read on Kids Tale Book.