One day, Porcupette’s mother leaves him and doesn’t come back. Lonely and sad, he wanders until he finds a mama bear and her cubs. He joins them and they live together happily, until Porcupette becomes scared that they will leave him too. He begins to hurt them before they can hurt him, unsure of how else to act on his feelings. Will Porcupette drive away his new family, or will he learn that he can be loved despite being different?

The art of this work was excellently done, from the unique style to the colors used. The message of the work was also wonderful, though it was a bit heavy handed in its delivery even for a children’s book. It touched on issues that may arise from blended families and feelings that can be common for children trying to feel comfortable with new families, which is an important topic. However, I would have liked a bit more of an exploration of the feelings other than “I felt X. I did X. Then X happened.”

The book could use some editing and reworking. There were some errors, including accidental tense changes and inconsistencies in capitalization. The prose was also awkwardly written. There were strings of short, stilted sentences followed by run on sentences that took away from any sort of flow the story could have had. I also disliked that it was told from a first-person perspective and think it would have been more impactful told from the third-person.

The heart of the story is beautiful, it just needs some reworking and polishing before I would fully recommend it. My thanks to NetGalley and VanitaBooks, LLC for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The book is about a baby porcupine, a porcupette. The little sweet porcupette lost her mother (who presumably died) and she was still a baby, she needed a new home, and someone new to take care of her. She finds love and care with a bear family. The story is also about the baby porcupette’s fear of not being accepted, and not fitting in with the new family. To be honest, this is the most awesome kids’ book I have seen that deals with adoption and/or foster families. It is so beautifully written, and the drawings are darling also.

Oh my puny little heart...Porcupette Finds a Family hit me like a sack of potatoes!
Beautiful and moving, this tale is about a baby porcupine that finds itself without its mother one day and decides to join a mother and her two cubs- hoping that the bears won't notice the difference!

Poor Porcupette is so terrified of being unloved and being abandoned that fear takes over time and time again. The more fear creeps up, he starts acting out in ways that he is SURE will make momma bear leave him- how could she not?

Well, our little porcupine learns that no matter what he does he has a family and is MOST LOVED by momma bear and the cubs. She isn't going to abandon him, he is safe.
Once Porcupette learns to let his guard down and realize that he doesn't have to push the ones he loves away before they may leave him, he is truly happy and content.

This was a super adorable story that would be perfect in non-traditional families- especially foster homes or with adoptive parents. This whole read was so warm and fuzzy, I loved the illustrations and the message...all so very sweet!!

Why am I sitting here sobbing? I am not that much of a sap. (or am I?) Either way, this book is just that beautiful.

Porcupette is a baby porcupine who loses his mother, and searches for a way to survive. He finds a nursing mother bear and, because he's so desperate, hopes she will allow him to feed and to stay. Instead of merely getting his immediate needs met, prickly Porcupette ends up getting a family.

Porcupette Finds a Family is exactly the book you should give to adoptive parents, so they know how much the gift of parenthood and unconditional love is appreciated.

I'm going to a shelter tomorrow to adopt another cat. Do we need one? No. But I want to give just one more cat the same forever joy Porcupette found, and I know we -- me, my sons, our cats -- can offer that.

There are a lot of words in this children's book, but it all seems to be existential inner thoughts. I think it might be difficult to keep a small child interested in something so wordy that doesn't have any rhyme or lyrical cadence to it. Perhaps if there weren't so many random facts about porcupines thrown in? The story was a cute premise, but I think that it needs a bit of reworking.

I really like the illustrations.

This is the story about a baby porcupine who has no family but finds a new family. This is the story about the process of adoption. Really loved this one. The illustrations were adorable and cute. Such a heartfelt story!

A porcupette (baby porcupine) is without a mother, so it looks for her, but finds a new home. Just until she comes back.

This book, using soft, adorable illustrations (and a few interesting facts about the wildlife) tells the story of many adoptions. Afraid and unsure, the child is desperate for love but still longs for a missing parent.

Feelings of loss and abandonment cause turmoil and unhappiness, so the child can push people away when they most need to be understood and loved.

But a patient mother bear (new parent), can help everyone feel safe and worthy of love until they realize being part of a family is stronger than fear. And having love again is just what they needed.

A beautiful and well-written book. It doesn't describe every situation, but it touches on important subjects that need to be discussed, prepared for, and worked through.

5/5 Stars

Thanks to Vanita Books and NetGalley for the preview of this ebook pdf; the review is voluntary.


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This book is about what it means to belong to a family. As someone who was adopted, I could related to Pocupette, and I think young children in the U.S. could too. The symbolism and story were great at connecting feelings with actions. I was reminded of my own feelings as a 5-year old experiencing similar thoughts and feelings--this book would be great in counseling centers, in elementary schools, and even great at home with newly adopted families. My favorite part was the ending when Porcupette realized that no matter what, his newfound family would always be there.

I loved this precious children’s book. A baby porcupine was accidentally separated from its’ mother. The porcupette went out in search of his/her mother and found a black bear mom with two baby clubs. The bears accepted the porcupine into their family and loved it as their own.

I think of the adoptive and foster children that I have treated in my work in the Pediatric Emergency Room. Often, they are scared, lonely, and afraid to trust due to experiences with abandonment. This is an excellent book to read to a child when they are adopted into a new family. Trust and healing will take time, but hopefully, the child will eventually accept the love of the new family. The book would also be a comforting addition to any agency, hospital, foster home, child counselors and psychologists, or families involved in the adoptive process.

I have read several books from this author and illustrator team. Each book was excellent. This story and illustrations are beautiful and loving. The proceeds from this book will be donated to Oak Adoptive Health Center in Akron, Ohio. I very much appreciate and admire the heart of this creative team, and I look forward to reading more of their books.

I received this advanced reader’s copy from Author Vanita Oetschlager, Illustrator Mike Blanc, Vanita Books Publishing, and NetGalley. This is a voluntary review, and all comments and opinions are entirely my own.

Sweet little story about a porcupine. Loved the illustrations in this book.. if your looking for a cute animal story about acceptance this one is for you.

A delightful book in which the reader gets to know about porcupines and a lesson in unconditional love and acceptance. The book has cute illustrations. Highly recommended. My thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for allowing me to review this digital copy/

This is a sweet simple story about a porcupette (baby porcupine) abandoned by it's mother and adopted by a family of bears. Porcupette is afraid of being abandoned again and keeps striking out with quills at it's new siblings and mom, hurting them and always expects to be abandoned again. The story is a clear lesson about adoption or foster families. It ends with the lesson that porcupette's early abandonment was not due to being unlovable. It is a sweet and easily understood story for young children. Though I would caution to only read the story to children who are already struggling with these types of feelings so as not to put those ideas in a young child's head.

The illustrations were adorable and lovely in a watercolor style.

Overall this is a good story for young children that suits a particular need. I do wish the tale was written in a more engaging way either more lyrical with rhyming stanzas or adding in a bit of humor or fun sound words and the like. But, overall it is a serious topic and it is handled in a serious and easily understood manner so these are small preferential quibbles. The topic was handled nicely and the illustrations were lovely. I would recommend for parents of an adopted or foster child who is struggling with self doubt.

This is a four star read for me.

What a sweet story about a porcupine who gets taken in by a bear family. Would be great for kids to learn about adoption or other types of families than their own. Lovely illustrations

Cute children’s book about finding your family even when you don’t always fit in at first. I really was drawn to the pictures as well as the sweet story.

The pictures in this book look pastel-like. It's about a baby porcupine that finds a bear family. Porcupine does something naughty (uses her quills to stick Mama bear in the nose), and she learns that Mama bears loves her, quills and all. This would be an excellent book to teach adoption. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to encourage everybody to BUY this book, and READ it, then SHARE it.

In a simple children style of storytelling, we have a porcupette who was left alone by his mom. He then found a new family. A family he was not so sure about, so he hurted everyone.

Like this porcupette, a human child who are alone in the world, would show their defense mechanism by being rude, naughty and not so lovable. He will test the adoptive parents, including their surroundings, by being not in the norm. What we need to do is giving him our time and unconditional love like we should.

This heartwarming tale really hit me in the feels. This little porcupette starts out with his porcupine momma, but one day she doesn't come back, and he finds a new family. Although his new family is a family of bears, they take him in and show him love, even when he is a bit prickly and defensive. This book belongs in social work offices everywhere. What a sweet story that shows that everyone deserves love and that families look past the times when people are prickly.

This is a very cute book. My children were sad that Porcupette lost his mom but loved following along. They enjoyed all the different animals he interacted with along the way

I'm not crying. You're crying!
Why in the world am I weeping while reading a children's picture book?
Most likely because I am a mother, and my mommy heart can't handle this.
Beautiful story of loss and finding love with a new family. Fantastic book to read with children and talk about adoption.
Beautifully illustrated. Porcupette Finds a Family is a treasure of a book.

Fun book for any classroom! The illustrations really bring this to life, a lovely book for any home or educational setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.