HELLO SUN!

Although Quentin the hedgehog is a night critter, he spots some sunbeams penetrating the forest canopy one morning and is instantly captivated. "I'm going to build a tree house at the top of the tallest tree," he vows to his scoffing friends. "That way, I can see the sun every day." By cutting deals with the other inhabitants (for example, he offers to gather nuts for Squirrel in exchange for some high-rise carpentry), Quentin not only gets his treehouse built and wins over his skeptical pals (who end up constructing a rope ladder for him), he even outfoxes a fox who plans to make the plump hedgehog the chief ingredient in a tasty stew. Wilhelm's (All for the Best!) soft-toned watercolors, which he often frames with nature motifs (acorns, strawberries, etc.), nicely convey the varied forest environments. But the hero's wordy earnestness ("He wouldn't have traded this moment for anything!" goes a typical passage) and the workmanlike characterizations make for some soggy storytelling. Still, cynics (and sticklers when it comes to the habits of nocturnal animals, for that matter) will have trouble begrudging the hedgehog's unadulterated joy when he finally clears the treetops and comes face-to-face with a radiant, smiling sun. Ages 3-8. (Aug.)