The Hodgeheg

Product Information

I know I will enjoy this tale again in the future and I would like to keep my eyes peeled for more Dick King-Smith books. Among his best-loved books is Babe, The Sheep Pig, which became a major film and was nominated for an Academy Award.

It talks about all the do’s and don’ts while crossing the road, and also different types of aiders like lollipop man, traffic lights or zebra crossing. Max provides some valuable lessons to young adventurers, but above all it is an inspiring little story about a hedgehog who simply was not willing to give up in his quest, which at times was filled with danger, for a solution to the problem facing hedgehogs. His first attempt ends in a nasty bump on the head, and Max finds when he tries to speak his words are all mixed up. Not only does it talk about a small hedgehog family life and some family etiquette but also, educate children on the rules, precautions and safety measures to be considered before crossing the road. The included slideshow presentation for the teaching input will show them two paragraphs, both containing the same facts but with one being more detailed than the other.We're told at the beginning of the story that his Auntie Betty has been killed crossing the road and that the roads are becoming more dangerous for hedgehogs. He is halfway across, but then the humans from the other side approach and he gets pushed around and is unable to get to the other side. Uncle B was my favourite character because he was saying nice things about people and helping to look after them. I liked this book because it has a very curious hedgehog who wants to stop cars from running over hedgehogs. The Hodgeheg is an enduring classic perfect for animal-loving children, while also providing an accessible and engaging story for children just beginning to branch out in their reading – great to read alone or read aloud with parents!

This is a charming story about a hedgehog Max who is determined to find a safe way for his family and loved ones to cross a busy road that's separating the garden where his family lives from a local park. The next morning at the crack of dawn a family of hedgehogs cross the road with the help of the lolipop lady, and they all make it to the park. This book plays with language brilliantly and children would find it amusing and possibly difficult to understand to begin with but after one explanation they would really enjoy this book. You can't help but grow to love the main character, Max and you end up rooting for him to eventually cross the road.

He aims to find a safe way for hedgehogs to cross the road to get to the park, however along the way he is involved in a few accidents himself and receives a bump on the head. He served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War, spent twenty years as a farmer, and then had a further career as a primary-school teacher. He wrote a great number of children’s books, including The Sheep-Pig (winner of the Guardian Award and filmed as Babe), Harry’s Mad, Noah’s Brother, The Queen’s Nose, Martin’s Mice, Ace, The Cuckoo Child and Harriet’s Hare (winner of the Children’s Book Award in 1995).