A picture book project by Darren A. Kus and Vivien Helders
»Freddie the Hedgehog« is a picture book written for children aged four to seven. A lonely hedgehog living on his own on a hill underneath an apple tree desires nothing more than friendship. However, since no one wants to give him a hug due to his prickles, he becomes angry and makes himself an outcast. One day a storm is coming and all the animals know about the foreboding – everyone but Freddie.
When he gets into trouble during the storm, he has to turn to the other animals to ask them for help. Unfortunately, there is also a nasty hawk showing up going for his apples! To overcome his fears, he now has to learn to trust.
In collaboration with the author Darren A. Kus, I try to tell a story with more than justwords. Since the target audience of a picture book is usually not able to read yet, illustrations are essential in the narrative flow. There are little details the text does not mention to give the reader the joy of discovering – from the furniture in Freddie’s tree to the individual character design.
