Porcupine Cupid

by Jason June, Lori Richmond (Illustrator)

Overview

A porcupine hatches a prickly plan to bring his animal friends together on Valentine’s Day in this humorous, heartwarming tale where everyone gets a happily ever after.

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day—or it will be if Porcupine has any say. He uses his quills like Cupid’s arrows, hoping to bring the sweet and sentimental spirit of the holiday to all his forest friends. But with every poke! that Porcupine gives, he gets a hey!, ouch!, or yowser! in return.

It seems Porcupine’s mission isn’t turning out quite like he planned, but with some quick thinking he might just be able to save the day...and maybe find a valentine of his very own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481481014
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	554,569
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jason June has been in love with love for as long as he can remember. When not writing, he’s sending Valentine’s cards to his husband, eating candy hearts, and officiating weddings. Jason June is the author of Whobert Whover, Owl Detective and Porcupine Cupid, and can be found online at HeyJasonJune.com.

Lori Richmond is a corporate creative director turned picture book maker and could have used Porcupine’s help when she first met her now-husband. As a former contributing editor and spokesperson for pregnancy and parenting brand, The Bump, Lori has appeared on the Today show, Good Morning America, and more. She works out of her studio in Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with her family. Lori is also the author-illustrator of Bunny’s Staycation (Mama’s Business Trip), Bunny Business (Mama’s Day at Work), and Pax and Blue, and is the illustrator of several other picture books. Visit her at LoriDraws.com.

Editorial Reviews

12/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—Porcupine is excited about Valentine's Day and wants everyone in the forest to experience true love. Unfortunately, she has a rather painful way of playing Cupid. She pokes them with a quill before giving them good wishes. The response is not quite what she expects; they are angry. After a bit of reflection, she has another plan, and anonymously posts a meeting notice to discuss the "Poke-y Porcupine Problem." There, while complaining (the complaints framed in wonderfully groan-worthy puns), all the animals find true love, in pairings of same gender and opposite. Loose and goofy digital illustrations complement to the sprightly narrative. VERDICT More LBGTQ+ Valentine's books, please! For larger collections and those with healthy holiday circulations.—Lisa Lehmuller, Paul Cuffee Maritime Charter Sch., Providence

School Library Journal

2020-10-27
Porcupine is a stickler for romance.

On Valentine’s Day, well-meaning Porcupine pokes various animal pals with quills, à la mythic Cupid striking the lovelorn with arrows. Unsurprisingly, his efforts at “fanning the flames of love” arouse angry, pained yelps. A bear huffily scolds Porcupine, giving him an idea: He secretly scrawls and posts a sign announcing a meeting in the forest, at which his pals gather to voice their disgruntlement. Porcupine, perched on a tree limb and dangling paper hearts above the assemblage, observes covertly and listens in on the proceedings with delight. He notes that he’s successfully stage-managed the perfect Valentine’s Day scene: The complainers all pair off in sympathy with each other, walk away happily, then engage in enjoyable activities together. However, this wouldn’t be an entirely happy Valentine’s Day story if the protagonist didn’t find a love connection of his own—cue the sweet twist at the end. This endearing, albeit predictable, holiday tale blends simple, expressive humor with warmth and sweetness. Young readers will giggle at the gentle figurative as well as metaphoric jabs that love, according to Porcupine, may entail. Colorful line illustrations capably evoke the setting as well as characters’ lively personalities. Porcupine and companion sport eyeglasses while some characters wear apparel; a bear carries a cane. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50.4% of actual size.)

Entertaining holiday fare that pays homage to spending time with someone special. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews