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Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story
What could be more poignant than a porcupine pining for a companion? With prose filled with puns and pleasing pictures, this passionate tale of love and friendship between two prickly creatures in a petting zoo makes a perfect read aloud. Full color.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
February 13, 2018
The idea of this one is cute, and there's a banjo-playing porcupine in it, which I guess is why it gets two stars. Though I kind of want to give it one. (I had to make up most of the words as I read it.)
Premise. A lonely porcupine lives at a petting zoo. Rut roh. That got a few laughs.
He decides enough is enough of being all alone, and goes out looking for love, playing his banjo and crooning lonely songs, first to a rabbit, then a pig, next a beavers, and finally...(spoiler alert).
This is the song our friend the porcupine sings to the pig.
I've been so lonesome all my life,
And though you're pink and fat,
I'm porcupining for a wife,
so I won't mention that.
And when the pig rebuffs him, he responds by basically saying she has no sense of humor. Wow. Um. Really?
Many insults in this book. I guess maybe insult humor is a thing in picture books? (At least there aren't roasts for five year olds.)
I am noticing more and more (as I am reading them to a gender-non-conforming kid) how insistent are the messages of heteronormativity in kids picture books. It's a bummer. This one will be going back to the library ASAP.
Premise. A lonely porcupine lives at a petting zoo. Rut roh. That got a few laughs.
He decides enough is enough of being all alone, and goes out looking for love, playing his banjo and crooning lonely songs, first to a rabbit, then a pig, next a beavers, and finally...(spoiler alert).
This is the song our friend the porcupine sings to the pig.
I've been so lonesome all my life,
And though you're pink and fat,
I'm porcupining for a wife,
so I won't mention that.
And when the pig rebuffs him, he responds by basically saying she has no sense of humor. Wow. Um. Really?
Many insults in this book. I guess maybe insult humor is a thing in picture books? (At least there aren't roasts for five year olds.)
I am noticing more and more (as I am reading them to a gender-non-conforming kid) how insistent are the messages of heteronormativity in kids picture books. It's a bummer. This one will be going back to the library ASAP.
February 13, 2018
Cushion, the lonely porcupine, sets out with his trusty banjo(?) to woo a mate. Too bad his serenades are downright insulting. He attempts to court a bunny with the line . . . rabbits aren't too icky, calls the pig fat, and makes fun of a beaver's teeth. Does this work for him?
October 24, 2017
5/5 Even tho there is more to life than finding a wife! 13/10 cuteness
February 16, 2018
Lisa Wheeler is a genius! This book is great for teaching manners, using kind words. Cushion never has a clue when he's unkind . . . and often neither do we!! When I shared with children we interacted by saying, "Dude, that's rude!" when Cushion didn't get it quite right . . . Great for sparking discussion. Fun to sing Cushion's sad, sad song with a country music twang!
May 10, 2022
cute until the last page when they broke the fourth wall to point out that telling the story was the whole point of telling the story...? what was the purpose, sort of ruined the whole cute book for me.
February 13, 2012
Cushion the Porcupine wants to find love. Don't we all? Well. The picture book crowd may not be looking to get married but they understand wanting friends and someone to play with.
We had fun reading this one today in kindergarten. Started with a non-fic book about porcupines. There are 26 different kinds and they can weigh up to 66 pounds. Did you know that?
Anyway, back to Cushion. He tries to woo a bunny rabbit, a pig, and a beaver with some truly terrible songs that everyone will enjoy singing together off key. Because of course we were out of tune on purpose.
As porcupine books go ... I prefer
. But porcupines AND Valentine's Day? This one is the clear winner!
We had fun reading this one today in kindergarten. Started with a non-fic book about porcupines. There are 26 different kinds and they can weigh up to 66 pounds. Did you know that?
Anyway, back to Cushion. He tries to woo a bunny rabbit, a pig, and a beaver with some truly terrible songs that everyone will enjoy singing together off key. Because of course we were out of tune on purpose.
As porcupine books go ... I prefer
. But porcupines AND Valentine's Day? This one is the clear winner!
August 10, 2018
This is a cute story, good concept, but I have a couple of qualms. The whole thing is set in a petting zoo, which I obviously am not a fan of. Also, the porcupine is a bit of a jerk, thinking everyone should want to be his wife despite his insults. I'm not wild on the fact that the story ends with him finding someone who is perfect for him, without having to become a nicer guy. I do enjoy the puns though.
March 19, 2021
How could I resist that cute title font and a porcupine with a banjo?
Cushion the porcupine is lonely because he's the only porcupine at the petting zoo, so no one pets him and he's all alone. He goes around the petting zoo one night singing a song about wanting a wife--and kind of insulting all the other animals in the process of trying to court them.
Then, he hears a voice telling him he's got a nice voice. This animal has no petting signs too... it's Barb the hedgehog! And they make a perfect pair.
Nice details:
- The beaver is reading a book called Carnivores are from Mars, Insectivores are from Venus by Capy Bara
- "You don't look like a hedge or a hog." "You don't look like a pork or a pine." Huh, not just prickles in common, but plant-porcine misnomers too.
- Final lines: "-We'd make a perfect pair.- And of course, they did! (Or what would be the point of this whole story?)"
- Barb plays harmonica.
Cushion the porcupine is lonely because he's the only porcupine at the petting zoo, so no one pets him and he's all alone. He goes around the petting zoo one night singing a song about wanting a wife--and kind of insulting all the other animals in the process of trying to court them.
Then, he hears a voice telling him he's got a nice voice. This animal has no petting signs too... it's Barb the hedgehog! And they make a perfect pair.
Nice details:
- The beaver is reading a book called Carnivores are from Mars, Insectivores are from Venus by Capy Bara
- "You don't look like a hedge or a hog." "You don't look like a pork or a pine." Huh, not just prickles in common, but plant-porcine misnomers too.
- Final lines: "-We'd make a perfect pair.- And of course, they did! (Or what would be the point of this whole story?)"
- Barb plays harmonica.
August 18, 2019
I love this book and read it to kids (with the help of my puppet) any time I can. They always love this book! I always love this book! Not only can I sing the song via the puppet, but it also has a cute cricket that they can spot on every page. Making sure there are not interruptions during the story, I ask what they may have noticed on each page after I have read the book and we are discussing the story. So cute and so fun! Thank you Lisa Wheeler.
February 16, 2019
This seemed like a great one for Valentine's Day! He sings a song again and again about his search for a wife.
I liked that the purcupine set a great example of kind words (okay, pretty nice words...he tried) with everyone he met.
My students were captivated by this story and had a good laugh.
I liked that the purcupine set a great example of kind words (okay, pretty nice words...he tried) with everyone he met.
My students were captivated by this story and had a good laugh.
September 27, 2020
I liked this story of an animal who lives in a petting zoo but is looking for some attention. Love his name--"Cushion." He wanders around with his banjo singing to other animals to try to find a mate. And he finds one who doesn't care about his quills because she has barbs. Worth the read and lovely illustrations.
September 13, 2017
This book was a very emotional and funny in a way kind of book. The story represents how people are rude and judge people by their covers. If you read this book you will get the emotional roller coaster that Cushion goes through. Over all I think this is my favorite book
October 23, 2017
Cute, yet sad, idea to write about a porcupine looking for love. However, I did not like the personality of the other characters - too mean to be in a children's book. I felt the story was a little too simple and seemed rushed at the end. I enjoyed the illustrations and the colors used.
February 3, 2021
For: prickly animal lovers; readers who are looking for a romantic book about finding true love.
Possible red flags: some mean descriptions (that they don't realize is mean); inter-species relations; feeling lonely and unloved.
Possible red flags: some mean descriptions (that they don't realize is mean); inter-species relations; feeling lonely and unloved.
February 9, 2017
Soooooo cute. Heartbreaking beginning (who puts a porcupine in a petting zoo) and heartwarming ending. The song is just hysterical.
October 24, 2017
"I've been so lonesome all my life. No one will get near. I'm porcupining for a wife, someone to hold me dear."
January 6, 2018
A beautiful love story.
July 27, 2018
It’s ok for younger children.
January 8, 2019
What an adorable and sweet book! It had kind of a surprise ending. I love this book!
January 8, 2019
Super cute! I loved all the porcupine puns.
March 9, 2019
Fun punny book.
November 17, 2019
Cute! Cushion the porcupine is lonely and looking for love.
July 2, 2022
Cute library book Little Man brought home from school about a horny porcupine looking for a wife.
November 5, 2022
Really? The fat pig? I usually love Lisa Wheeler, but this one was disappointing.
September 13, 2023
Cute illustrations, didn't love that the porcupine finds true love after being an asshole to all of the other animals. Maybe let's not teach kids that?
November 10, 2023
This was such a fun read! Very cute!
October 14, 2025
Adorable!
February 23, 2017
A cute story about a porcupine trying to find a mate that would love him despite his imperfections. My kids understood his pointing out everyone else's imperfections because we discussed it, but some may see his comments about others (calling the pig fat, the rabbits icky) as insulting. I saw it more as, we all have our "quills" and we just have to find the right person to put up with them. The song was the favorite part of the book for my kiddos.
September 10, 2013
I wanted to like this one--it was such a cute concept! Plus, I love plays on words.
However, it rubbed me the wrong way; and for a book about a porcupine, that's a problem.
The personal insults he throws at other animals in the name of serenading them was never resolved and the inter-species thing was not clearly inaccurate; for instance, if it were a dog and a cat, most kids would know that they wouldn't really be mates. A porcupine and a hedgehog look closely related, so a kid might pick this up as something that actually happens. I just don't like setting kids up for embarrassment when it's so easily avoidable.
The last thing I want to say is: WHY must he be constantly pining for a WIFE? The mention of wife on almost every page was a little much, and I wish he'd just been seeking friendship after all of that. People are not guaranteed a romantic partner, and books like this unfortunately condition us all towards thinking that we are. (I won't even start on the heterosexism of this, either)
Off my soapbox now.
However, it rubbed me the wrong way; and for a book about a porcupine, that's a problem.
The personal insults he throws at other animals in the name of serenading them was never resolved and the inter-species thing was not clearly inaccurate; for instance, if it were a dog and a cat, most kids would know that they wouldn't really be mates. A porcupine and a hedgehog look closely related, so a kid might pick this up as something that actually happens. I just don't like setting kids up for embarrassment when it's so easily avoidable.
The last thing I want to say is: WHY must he be constantly pining for a WIFE? The mention of wife on almost every page was a little much, and I wish he'd just been seeking friendship after all of that. People are not guaranteed a romantic partner, and books like this unfortunately condition us all towards thinking that we are. (I won't even start on the heterosexism of this, either)
Off my soapbox now.
February 7, 2016
Cushion on üksildane miniloomaaias elav okassiga. Kui kõiki teisi loomi võib tavaliselt paitada, siis okassea puhul pole see "soovitatav".
"Cushion was a porcupine with a problem. he lived in a petting zoo. That was the problem. No one would pet a porcupine.
There were even signs outside his habitat that read:
DO NOT TOUCH and
KEEP OUT and worst of all
NO PETTING!
Kurb okassiga läheb omale naist otsima ja laulab serenaade erinevatele loomadele. Ta on seejuures küllaltki ebaviisakas, näiteks laulab ta seale:
"I've been so lonesome all my life,
And though you're pink and fat,
I'm porcupining for a wife,
So I won't mention that.
Lõpuks kohtab ta looma, kelle aediku juures on täpselt samad hoiatused. See on siilipreili Barb ja ma arvan, et naine ongi lõpuks leitud.
Raamatu pildid on tõesti ilusad, kuid sisu natuke küsitav, sest nagu ma ütlesin, on Cushion natuke ebaviisakas. Kui loeksin seda lapsele, siis lisaksin sinna juurde selgituse.
"Cushion was a porcupine with a problem. he lived in a petting zoo. That was the problem. No one would pet a porcupine.
There were even signs outside his habitat that read:
DO NOT TOUCH and
KEEP OUT and worst of all
NO PETTING!
Kurb okassiga läheb omale naist otsima ja laulab serenaade erinevatele loomadele. Ta on seejuures küllaltki ebaviisakas, näiteks laulab ta seale:
"I've been so lonesome all my life,
And though you're pink and fat,
I'm porcupining for a wife,
So I won't mention that.
Lõpuks kohtab ta looma, kelle aediku juures on täpselt samad hoiatused. See on siilipreili Barb ja ma arvan, et naine ongi lõpuks leitud.
Raamatu pildid on tõesti ilusad, kuid sisu natuke küsitav, sest nagu ma ütlesin, on Cushion natuke ebaviisakas. Kui loeksin seda lapsele, siis lisaksin sinna juurde selgituse.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews