Jan Brett's trademark illustrations--detailed watercolors bordered by intricate needlepoint patterns---capture the charm and mischief of this Scandinavian-style folk tale set in Denmark. Each wide woven margin shows a hint in miniature of upcoming events: Hedgie crawling under Henny's brooding basket, or the enraged Tomten after being outwitted. Young readers will love guessing what Hedgie has up his proverbial sleeve, and will rejoice with Henny at the unusual hatching of her first brood of chicks. A warm, humorous, 100 percent satisfying story by the creator of many picture book favorites, such as The Hat and The Mitten. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter