Why Nobody Strokes Hedgehogs

This powerful story written by Andrey Kurkov and illustrated by Tania Goryushina is about lonely Hedgehog who feels bad because nobody strokes him opens to a reader important questions about care, self acceptance and friendship. The rich in color pastel drawings, created by Tania Goryushina using special "prickly" techniques will leave no child indifferent. During 2013 this book was among the top 10 bestsellers in Ukrainian book stores. In 2018 it is published by two Swedish publishers: Tyanachu and Pionier press in three languages. Andrey Kurkov is a Ukrainian novelist and scriptwriter who writes in Russian. Andrey is the author of 20 novels and 10 books for children. He also regularly writes articles for various publications worldwide. Andrey Kurkov is often invited to run literary workshops, including masterclasses for children where he encourages participants to create and develop their own stories. He was on the jury of the 2008-2010 Man Booker International Prize. Andrey won Writer of the Year in 2001 (Ukraine), the Readers’ Prize in 2002 (Basel, Switzer- land), International Nikolai Gogol Prize in 2012 (Rome, Italy), The Readers’ Choice Prize for ‘The Gardener of Ochakov’ in 2012 (Cognac, France). Tania Goryushina is a Ukrainian artist based in Stockholm. She is a publisher, teacher, and illustrator who develops children’s books. Tania’s first book Kazkovi Svitlyny (Fairytale Images) was published in 2008 using a grant from the President of Ukraine’s cultural foundation. A year later Tania won a place at the Academy of Fine Art in Umeå, Sweden. She now runs a micropublishing company work- ing on art projects and winning commissions to decorate public spaces. Tania is active in Ukraine and Sweden, and this has given her a unique dual-country footprint.