Hello, friends! Our book today is The New Arrival by Vanya Nastanlieva, an adorable woodland tale of making new friends.

Sam the hedgehog has set off on his own to find a new home in a new part of the forest. He manages to snag a cozy little hollow tree, but there’s one problem: try as he might, he can’t seem to spot any other animals. Sam feels lonely, and would love to make a new friend, but his exhaustive search of the area is fruitless. Finally, he comes upon an idea, scrawling signs advertising his need for a friend and posting them on trees with his quills. That night, however, a terrible rainstorm rips all the signs off and blows them away. Crushed, Sam returns home or his hollow tree, where a surprise awaits him…

Absolutely darling. Sam is an enormously endearing protagonist that kids can easily connect to, and the story is gentle enough for even the littlest readers. The illustrations are adorable, and include the cute gimmick of hiding the animals in plain-ish sight, adding a seek-and-find element that JJ loved. The ending is heartwarming, the length is great, and this one simply put a smile on our faces. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)