'Quigley the Quiet Hedgehog' Book Review

When author Claudine Norden generously sent me her book, "Quigley the Quiet Hedgehog" to check out, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I'd never come across a children's book discussing introversion and I think that is exactly why Claudine set out to write this series!

"Quigley the Quiet Hedgehog" is a perfect introduction to life as an introvert. It beautifully shows that not all personalities are the same but they are all wonderful in their own ways. I think this is definitely a book parents, children, teachers, and students should all read and a perfect starting point for more in depth conversations about personality types. 

I do wish I had known more about all this when I was a child. I had vague ideas about being introverted versus extroverted but I never really knew what it meant and I also never realized that there were varying degrees of both. Introversion and extroversion isn't an either-or type of situation, it's a spectrum! And I fall somewhere in between which really explains a lot of things. Growing up I was also frequently told I was shy so I internalized being shy as part of my personality and assumed that went along with being introverted. Man, was I off! Shy is a feeling that comes and goes much like anxiety or anger or frustration. And while large gatherings do absolutely exhaust me, I tend to overthink decisions, and get lost in my mind, I like being around my favorite people, prefer to talk through problems, and can only handle a short amount of complete alone time. Now I realize that my shyness and urge to avoid new people and situations has more to do with anxiety over the unknown rather than introversion. I'm so glad to have more information and a better understanding of everything now so I can help my kids be their truest selves and help them tackle difficult situations in their lives!

For a little more information on the subject, check out the Healthline article, "Extroverts, Introverts, and Everything in Between." And definitely check out "Quigley the Quiet Hedgehog" as well as book 2 in the series, "Quigley Goes to Gymnastics."