The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle

Beautiful, beautiful story.

I tip my hat to [a:Beatrix Potter|11593|Beatrix Potter|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1201022492p2/11593.jpg] for managing to perfectly capture the benign and industrious nature of the hedgehog and turn the humble insectivore into a cultural landmark for us all to love and cherish.

Until recently I had never read a Beatrix Potter book. I did not know that Mrs Tiggy-Winkle was a hedgehog who did ironing. I did not know what a 'clear-starcher' was. To be acquainted with the characters and words such as 'goffered' in this miniature edition was a delight. Sadly the enemies of books have been at it - the sticky price label and gift aid sticker could not be removed without severe damage to the front cover.

One of my favorite stories from Beatrix Potter when I was growing up. This tale is one of the only stories she writes which leaves the reader in a totally imaginative state as Miss Tiggy-Winkle transforms into a hedgehog at the end but leaves all of her hard work behind for Lucie to wonder what actually happened.... Fun story to use if you you are wanting to engage the young mind in conversations of magic and possibilities.

A sweet tale of the woes of a laundress and her dedication. Also perhaps, of the imaginations of a child as she observes woodland creatures.

This book has always transported me back to my childhood; my wanderings and wonderings about the critters I discovered.

This was a cute little story about a girl named Lucie and her quest in finding her handkerchiefs. She goes around and asks many animals but no one answers her until she walks into Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle’s house. Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is cleaning a lot of her neighbor’s clothes and Lucie notices her handkerchiefs in the mist. They become friends but by the end of their day little Lucie realizes that Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle was nothing but a hedgehog. I like how the author incorporated the names of her other characters from her other books into this story. I also liked how the book had a repetitive tone that I think children will find amusing.

I found this book to be elegant and delicate in both its appearance and its content. The illustrations are also refined and give one the sense of being dainty. The story is fanciful and leads the reader on an unexpected journey to meet the animals’ washerwoman. It is a lovely read aloud, but is quite text heavy, written with old language norms and so requires a certian dedication for a young reader to understand.

Lucie's lost hankerchiefs turn up in the home of a hedgehog, though Lucie isn't sure if she dreamed it all or not. Lucie is a good representation of the average child, always losing things and very inquisitive, while Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle is very kind and gentle for being so prickly. The plot isn't too exciting, but finding out at the end that Lucie had fallen asleep makes the reader wonder if it really happened or not, which is good for a child's imagination. The illustrations all complement the story very well. It is another classic by Beatrix Potter, and would be included in my collection.