The Girl and the Hedgehog Hospital

On a wet Saturday, Maya puts on her mustard-yellow raincoat and red wellington boots and joins her class on a trip to a wildlife rescue center, carrying a satchel with a notebook and many questions. There she meets Dr. Penny Quill, who wears a hedgehog badge on her lanyard, and Toby, a tall junior volunteer in an orange hoodie. They show her a snug room full of soft nests where small hedgehogs sleep under warm blankets, and Maya is introduced to Bramble, a round hedgehog with a bandaged paw and black button eyes.

Bit by bit, Maya discovers what expert care involves, from why hedgehogs need warmth to recover and how a wound is cleaned and wrapped, to the foods they can safely eat, such as special kibble, mealworms and scrambled eggs. She watches volunteers weigh the animals, listen to their breathing, check their quills and give medicine, and learns that patients go back to the wild only when they are strong enough. When she asks how to help, Toby suggests learning materials for children, so Maya begins drawing posters and a maze game. This tale by Jane MEADOW can be read on Kids Tale Book.