Little Hansi the Hedgehog: a Story of Survival

Little Hansi the Hedgehog is the true story of a veterinary assistant named Kristina and the newborn hedgehog she finds abandoned on a country road. She takes him home, names him "Hansi" and becomes his substitute mother. Kristina builds "Hansi's House" from an empty box and furnishes it with everything a young, growing hedgehog needs: a "mattress" of cotton balls, fennel tea and kitten milk to drink, a towel to hide in, and a hot-water bottle to keep him warm. Over weeks and months, Kristina faces a number of challenges in trying to help Hansi learn to drink, walk, sleep and "poop" until he grows up and can be returned to the wild. Charming illustrations and actual photographs of Hansi combine to tell this story, which will captivate children and adults alike.