Hogbert

Hogbert

Briony May Smith

Walker Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781529518351

Hogbert might be the smallest of the litter of boars that live with their mother in the faraway forest but that means nothing to him.  So when his mum decides it’s time for them to explore the forest for the first time but to keep together because the big Bad Wolf may be lurking, Hogbert soon forgets that and follows his nose along a tasty trail of food and before long he is lost…

Promoted as “a modern classic”  young readers are going to delight in this adventure with its nods to some of the traditional fairy tales they may well already know, as they read on to see if Hogbert can find his family or whether the BBW will get him first.  Apart from following the trail left by the two baby bunnies, Nettle and Hopsel, there is a helpful red squirrel who is going to visit her granny who is sure she will spot Hogbert’s mum from the top of the tallest tree – if only she could find it; a little deer – a snow-white fawn – who fell asleep after eating an apple; and a mysterious cave where they shelter as a storm hits. And the twist in the tale that clever eyes will detect as they make their way through the cave is just perfect.

Written and illustrated by the creator of stories like Margaret’s Unicorn, The Mermaid Moon and Tiny Jenny: Little Fairy, Big Trouble, young readers and their imaginations are again taken into the mysterious world of the woods where unseen creatures dwell, wonderful things happen and stories are born.  Something ideal to share when there is a need for a be-together, calm-down moment. 

A peek inside…