#216 of 1001 · March 4, 2021

There’s something at once spooky and reassuring about Hedgehog in the Fog, written by Sergey Kozlov and Yuri Norstein and illustrated by Francesca Yarbusova. Hedgehog makes his way through fields, groves, and thick fog to his friend Bear’s house to share raspberry jam and juniper tea. Along the way he encounters a number of mysterious animals, including a pale horse, a helpful dog, and a menacing owl. He ponders his surroundings and contemplates his own identity. Finally, he reaches his destination unscathed, but his mind continues to linger on the eerie sights from his journey. The genesis of this book is a fascinating one: in 1975, Norstein, an acclaimed animator, directed an animated film called Hedgehog in the Fog from a screenplay by Kozlov, a distinguished children’s author and poet. This adaptation of the film bears a text (translated into English by Luba Golburt) whose slow and methodical plot emphasizes tone and atmosphere. Yarbusova, Norstein’s wife and collaborator, based her soothing, richly textured illustrations on sketches she created for the film. #hedgehog #fog #bear #owl #horse #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks