The Hedgehog’s Dilemma

The spiky little mammals can never get close to each other, but this novel urges us to put away our prickles

The spiky little mammals can never get close to each other, but this novel urges us to put away our prickles

A woodland reflection on the perils of overthinking... all contained within a delightful little volume with line illustrations by Annemarie van Haeringen. Just as The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse threaded the line between adult and younger readers, so too has Tellegen written a tale that speaks equally eloquently to an audience of all ages... Those in search of a cosy, gently delivered philosophy will melt

This droll little book is cheaper than therapy

Funny and evocative, and will surely strike a chord with any social overthinker... If ever there was a book to take into a warm and soft corner and curl up with, this is it - and once you're finished, if you're feeling bold enough, you'll want to invite a friend to do the same

Only one question remains: is he a writer or a genius? I suspect the latter

Toon Tellegen's short stories provide endless pleasure, because you can read them over and over, and then you have to read them out loud as well, again and again

Moving and entertaining... As much as he twists, exaggerates, shrinks and fools around, he never hides his subject matter: recognizable behaviour and human emotions

Toon Tellegen is one of the Netherlands' best-loved authors. A retired doctor, he initially found fame as a children's author, before beginning his hugely popular series of philosophical animal fables for adults, which examine deep questions about life and happiness through encounters between different animals. The series has sold more than a million copies in the Netherlands alone, and the books have also become international bestsellers, translated into 25 languages across the world. David Colmer has won many prizes for his translations, including the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize (precursor to the International Booker Prize), both with novelist Gerbrand Bakker. He also translated Willem Frederik Hermans' An Untouched House and A Guardian Angel Recalls for Pushkin Press. Annemarie van Haeringen is an internationally renowned illustrator of picture books who lives in Amsterdam. Her books have been translated into many languages and won numerous awards.