“I have never, ever been without Mutty, and he has never been without me,” Hedgehog explained. “We need each other.” Mole was a very good listener. She nodded in all the right places and rested a comforting paw on Hedgehog’s quills. It felt good to have someone to talk to in this big, scary forest.
The cover will help you anticipate some of this plot. You can see a woodland setting, a toy dog wearing a jumper (sweater), a girl with a camera, an owl, beaver, mole and some chickens. With only ten short chapters and 128 pages this is a perfect book for a newly independent reader. And as a bonus it begins with a map! I also loved the way each character has a distinct voice and personality and Lauren Castillo has included some little jokes along the way.
Here is an example: “Peep!” Chick Two bounced off Chick One. “Peep, peep!” Chick One bounced off Chick Two. And the two leap-chicked right back into the brush. “For peep’s sake!” groaned Beaver.
Opening sentence - Notice the way the narrator speaks directly to the reader:
Sometimes you make a friend and it feels like you have known that friend your entire life. Hedgehog, Mutty, Mole, Owl, Beaver, Hen and Chicks, and me, Annika Mae. You might think it has always been this way, but it has not. There was a series of events that brought us all together. This is our friendship story. This is the story of us.
Blurb from author page: Hedgehog lives on a teeny-tiny island with only her stuffed dog, Mutty, for company. When a great storm carries Mutty away, she embarks on a quest to find her friend. Following the trail of clues Mutty left behind, brave Hedgehog meets a wiggly Mole, a wordy Owl, a curmudgeonly Beaver, a scatterbrained Hen and Chicks, and a girl who's new to the neighborhood, Annika May. With bravery and teamwork, there's nothing that can stop these seven from finding Mutty, but along the way they discover something even more important: each other.
You will need to talk to your young reading companion about instamatic or Polaroid cameras!Awards:
- Junior Library Guild Selection
- Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year SELECTION 2021
- Chicago Public Library Best Books SELECTION 2020
- Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books SELECTION 2020
- School Library Journal Best Book of the Year SELECTION 2020
- ALSC Notable Children’s Books LONGLIST 2021
I saw the third book from this series mentioned on social media and I was curious BUT here in Australia these books are way outside the budget of a school library at over AUS$45 each. That's why I purchased the ebook version of Book One. I really enjoyed my dip into this series SO if these ever arrive here in paperback for a better price you might consider adding them to your school library - I am always on the hunt for simple early chapter books with colour illustrations and most importantly appealing stories.
Bookseller blurb: Autumn leaves are falling in Hedge Hollow, and the change in season brings with it a spiny surprise... another hedgehog! Is it friend or foe? Or is it . . . family? On the one paw, Hedgehog is excited to meet one of her own kind, but on the other paw, she has never felt so different—or distant—from her old friends. Where does Hedgehog belong, and who does she belong with? A journey upriver through an unfamiliar forest just might lead her home…
Bookseller blurb: When the humans of Hedge Hollow head off to school, Hedgehog and her furry, feathery friends decide to start a school of their very own! Owl will teach reading. Beaver will teach shop. Mole will teach geography. Hen will teach math. And Hedgehog . . . Hedgehog isn't so sure. After all, you have to be an expert to teach a class, don't you? Hedgehog doesn't feel like an expert in anything. Lucky for Hedgehog her friends are happy to lend a paw, sharing laughter and kind words as they figure out a solution.
Lauren Castillo studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Honor winning book, Nana in the City, and new chapter book series, Our Friend Hedgehog. Lauren has also illustrated several critically acclaimed picture books, including Kirkus Prize finalist Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera, Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley, and Yard Sale by Eve Bunting. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, PA.
No comments:
Post a Comment