Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Lauren Castillo website:

http://www.laurencastillo.com/

Author interview with Mr Schu Reads:

http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2019/10/our-friend-hedgehog-story-of-us-by.html

Author interview with Miss Marple’s Musings:

http://joannamarple.com/2014/01/15/illustrator-interview-lauren-castillo/

Author interview with Let’s Get Busy Podcast (44:32)

http://lgbpodcast.blogspot.com/2014/11/lauren-castillo-ep-100.html

Activities & Resources:

Lauren Castillo Resources

Activity Sheets:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/544647dee4b054242c727455/t/5ed1768a9654580ae7b865cf/1590785687945/ActivitySheets_OurFriendHedgehog.pdf

Coloring Pages:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/544647dee4b054242c727455/t/5ed17543ff1f544b3b0c08c4/1590785372656/ColoringSheets_OurFriendHedgehog.pdf

Friendship

Write the “friendship story” of you and your best friend.

Writing a Personal Narrative: Writing a Draft for Kids video (4:59):

https://youtu.be/5Y_fxQ_52pk

Animals

Hedgehog crafts:

https://artsycraftsymom.com/hedgehog-crafts-for-kids/

Mole crafts:

https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/moles

Beaver crafts:

https://artsycraftsymom.com/beaver-crafts-for-kids/

Horchata

History of Horchata:

https://www.loyalnana.com/loyalnanaeats/2019/11/4/the-history-of-horchata-97bs7

How to Make Horchata video (2:19):

https://youtu.be/OkLm6f1YMnM

Languages

How to say hello in 30 languages video (1:48)

https://youtu.be/7j_YKMCXRqk

Hello across the world song video (1:30)

https://youtu.be/kEREr6KsWG0

MakerSpace Activities:

Engineering

Create a dam:

http://kitchenfloorcrafts.blogspot.com/2015/05/invitation-to-build-create-dam.html#_a5y_p=4338119

Experiments

Egg experiments:

https://www.science-sparks.com/10-egg-science-experiments/

River experiments:

Build a river model:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/build-river-model

Weather Experiments:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/make-a-cloud-in-a-bottle/

Scavenger Hunt

Create an ozobot scavenger hunt to find Mutty

https://ozobot.com/create/construction-kit-games

Discussion Questions:

Why do you think that Hedgehog lived on an island with only Mutty as a friend?

Do you think the illustrations helped or hurt the telling of the story? Explain your answer.

Have you ever lost a friend? How did it make you feel?

How did meeting Mole change Hedgehog’s attitude?

Hedgehog was nervous about traveling in Mole’s tunnels. Have you ever done something that made you nervous? Tell us about it. How did you feel afterwards?

Is asking others for help good or bad? Why?

Which characters in the story were the most alike? Which were most different from each other? Explain your answers.

Is it easier to be friends with someone who is just like you or not at all like you? Explain your answer.

Beaver did not want to help look for Mutty but went along anyway. Have you ever done something you didn’t want to do in order to help someone else? Tell us about it.

What themes did you detect in the story?

Which character did you most relate to? Why?

Who was your favorite character? What did you appreciate about him or her?

Each character brought a talent or knowledge to the search for Mutty. In your opinion, which character provided the most help and why?

What scene from the book do you remember best? Why do you think that is?

Do you think that meeting Hedgehog, Mole, Owl, Beaver, Hen and Chicks made Annika Mae’s move to a new home easier? In what ways?

Lauren Castillo is both an author and an illustrator. Do you think it is harder to write a story or illustrate it? Why?

If you had to describe this book in five words, what words would you use?

Have you ever had a friend like Mutty? One that you never wanted to go anywhere without? Tell us about your friend.

Is there anything in this story that makes you want to change your life or how you act? What and why?

Were you satisfied with the ending? What do you think will happen next?

Book Talk Teasers:

Read the Reader’s Theater for Our Friend Hedgehog The Story of Us.

Book trailer:

https://youtu.be/jOL6puSXn9Y

Read Alikes:

Animals

Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan. When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life. (NoveList Plus)

Applegate, Katherine. Wishtree. An old red oak tree tells how he and his crow friend, Bongo, help their human neighbors get along after a threat against an immigrant family is carved into the tree's trunk. (NoveList Plus)

Milne, A.A. Winnie-the-Pooh. The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends, in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meets a Heffalump, and Eeyore has a birthday. (NoveList Plus)

Friends

Arnold, Elana K. A Boy Called BAT. For Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), life tends to be full of surprises—some of them good, some not so good. Today, though, is a good-surprise day. Bat’s mom, a veterinarian, has brought home a stray baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. But the minute Bat meets the kit, he knows they belong together. And he’s got one month to show his mom that a baby skunk might just make a pretty terrific pet. From acclaimed author Elana K. Arnold comes a story of first friendship starring an unforgettable young boy on the autism spectrum. (NoveList Plus)

Bauer, Marion Dane. Little Dog, Lost. A boy, a dog, and an old man are lonely before the boy plans a rally, the dog looks for a boy, and all the townspeople run to the old man's aid when lightning strikes his home and something miraculous happens. (NoveList Plus)

DiCamillo, Kate. Bink & Gollie. Two roller-skating best friends--one tiny, one tall--share three comical adventures involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. (NoveList Plus)

Pennypacker, Sara. Pax. When his father enlists in the military and makes him return his beloved pet fox to the wild, Peter, who has been sent to live with his grandfather hundreds of miles away, embarks on a journey filled with astonishing discoveries in order to be reunited with his fox. (NoveList Plus)

Reviews:

Castillo, Lauren. Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us. Knopf. 2020.

Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us (Starred)

Castillo, Lauren (author)

May 2020. 128p. Knopf, $16.99 (9781524766719). Grades 1-4.

REVIEW. First published March 1, 2020 (Booklist).

In this Winnie-the-Pooh-style adventure for young readers, Hedgehog lives with her best friend, Mutty, a white stuffed dog in a striped sweater, on a small river island. One day, a terrible storm carries Mutty away on its fierce winds, leaving Hedgehog devastated but determined to find her friend. Luckily, Hedgehog is a good swimmer, and she reaches the river’s wooded bank without mishap. A serendipitous tumble drops her into the burrow of Mole, who good-naturedly joins the search for Mutty. Their journey takes them to the homes of Owl, Beaver, and Hen and Chicks, all of whom display unique personalities. Together, they follow clues that lead to Annika Mae, a girl with a Polaroid camera and knowledge of a certain sweater-wearing dog. Caldecott Honor Book creator Castillo lovingly offers up this story of friendship and bravery, which she liberally illustrates with sweet, sketchy artwork created in pen, pencil, and watercolor. Simple sentences and abundant white space support young readers making the transition into chapter books, and the gentle adventure within this series starter will easily capture their attention. — Julia Smith

Reprinted with Permission of Booklist https://www.booklistonline.com/

School Library Journal (May 1, 2020)

K-Gr 3-Hedgehog and Mutty live on a river island and spend their days playing, imagining, and dreaming. One day, a storm carries Mutty away, and Hedgehog sets out to rescue her friend. Along the way, Hedgehog meets companions throughout the forest who help rescue Mutty and become a new group of friends. This gentle early chapter book is sure to delight young fans of animal friendship stories. Full-color illustrations make the title inviting to readers just breaking into the longer format, and plenty of white space and larger text is also welcoming. Some of the word choices may be difficult for striving readers. However, repetition and the use of definitions in context, especially by the owl, will help expand vocabularies. The bright, detailed illustrations work well to enhance the plot and bring the characters to life. The final chapter, "Us (the beginning)," promises more adventures from this spirited crew. VERDICT This sweet adventure and cast of new friends is reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh or a calmer Mercy Watson. A suggested purchase for all fiction collections that serve early chapter book readers.-Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL © Copyright 2020. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal, 2020. http://www.slj.com.