Count Downton 30* and PPBF: Hodge the Hedgehog

I let today’s PPBF pick inspire the Count Downton sketch of Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), because . . . it’s NIKOLAUS!

Author: Amy Sparkes
Illustrator: Benji Davies
Publisher: Worthwhile Books, 2010
Age: 4 and up
Themes: hedgehogs, sharing, books in rhyme
Opening: “Hodge the Hedgehog hogged the hedge. He didn’t like to share. The other creatures thought him rude, but Hodge just did not care.”
Summary: (from Amazon) Hodge the Hedgehog hogged the hedge; He didn’t like to share. The other creatures thought him rude, But Hodge just didn’t care.” Hodge the Hedgehog wants the whole hedge for himself – but the other animals in the forest think that Hodge needs to learn how to share! When everyone pitches in to teach Hodge a lesson about friendship, the results are downright silly – and all the animals learn that sharing can save the day!

Why I like this book: 1- I love hedgehogs, ever since my first encounter as an exchange student in Germany, 2 – super endpapers with fall leaves (I love fall!), 3-spoiler alert: mouse dons a towel turban after a bath. That’s enough, right? But the rhyming text is so much fun to read (the main character ‘haughtily huffs’!) you could almost overlook all the fun in the adorable illustrations!

Resources/Activities: I doubt enough American kids are familiar with hedgehogs, their habits or their habitats: read more picture books, like The Very Helpful Hedgehog or Hedgehog’s Magic Tricks; research hedgehog facts at websites like National Geographic; watch educational videos about hedgehogs, which point out why they don’t make great pets.

For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks and parent/teacher resources go to Susanna Hill’s blog – HERE