Although I couldn't download this book, I did find a hard copy of it and read it. Sweetest story I've read in a long, long while. Actually brought tears to my eyes as the little porcupette adjusted to his new family. Sweet story for any blended family to read together.

This story was brilliant. It covers some issues that are very important for anyone who is considering adoption, has adopted, or has been adopted or is up for adoption. Things I honestly wasn't expecting to be covered. Like how sometimes when we're scared we act in ways we wouldn't normally, or that sometimes patience and love is all you need in endless supply to help someone through a rough time.

Vanita continues to impress, inspire, and brighten up my days. I just adore her books.

Premise: Porcupette's mother loves and takes care of him, until one day, when she doesn't come home from her daily search for food. Frantically, the little one searches everywhere for his mother, until he becomes too hungry and tired to search anymore. He takes shelter with a bear family in their cave. The mother bear feeds him, and as the cubs grow older, they play with him as though he were one of them. But Porcupette is still sad, and he begins to wonder if the bear family could really love him as one of their own. He hurts them with his quills and runs away, back to his former home. Mother bear finds him and brings him back to their cave, and Porcupette realizes that the bear family loves him after all.

This isn't exactly a feel-good book. Even though Porcupette finds an adoptive family, he's sad and misses his biological mother constantly. He loves his new family, but if he drove away his mother, why would they love and stay with him? He lashes out because he doesn't understand these emotions; he doesn't know how to handle his emotional pain. Keeping all of this in mind, Porcupette's situation is reality for many foster children. Forced from their original homes for whatever reason, many children have a hard time accepting that someone else might love them, so they try to protect themselves from love itself. My son and I had some great discussion as a result of Porcupette's actions. So, while this isn't my favorite children's book, I do think it's a really great book for helping kids to understand an adoptive situation.

Surprisingly emotional book. When Porcupette is separated from her Mother I was distressed. I was emotionally invested on the journey right from the beginning and was happy to see such a lovely ending.

This is a wonderful book for people of all ages and backgrounds.