Stella and the children living in Berry Bay are mystified by the new pharmacist. She seems so different from everyone else around them. Visiting the pharmacy now requires them to go in groups because she is so, well, mean. They aren’t used to this kind of treatment. When Stella happens upon the pharmacist outside of the pharmacy one afternoon, she learns something about her that explains not only her strange behavior but also her ever-changing appearance. Stella quickly learns that she and the rest of the neighborhood were as wrong as they could possibly be about Betty Birdington.

Stella and Her Spiky Friend, written by Tuula Pere and illustrated by Emanuel Tamas, is a lovely children’s book that demonstrates how the curiosity of a child can reveal some important life lessons. Young Stella, about to turn eight years old, is mystified by the town’s new pharmacist. Stella and the children of her neighborhood are highly relatable in their wonderment and their reactions to an adult who is, for lack of a better term, a meanie. Betty Birdington is both written and illustrated in a way that will spark readers’ imaginations. Her character is fascinating from the first pages of Pere’s work. The illustrations Tamas has created stir a spectrum of emotions in young readers, from the feeling of trepidation to pure joy. I truly enjoyed the storyline and believe young readers will find Stella’s tender love and care toward her little hedgehog interesting, but I would love to have seen more of the storyline with Betty Birdington. I found myself looking throughout the rest of the book for a reappearance of the pharmacist and a bit more about her interactions with the townspeople.

Stella and Her Spiky Friend is an imaginative children’s story showing the curiosity that children have and how it can manifest in some situations. I highly recommend Pere and Tamas’s book for parents and teachers of children ages 6 to 10.

Pages 42 | ISBN : 952357003X