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Thursday, May 14, 2020

Blog Tour for Our Friend Hedgehog by Lauren Castillo with an Excerpt, Mini Review + a Giveaway



 I've always been a huge fan of Winnie the Pooh and am really excited to feature a spot for OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG by Lauren Castillo Blog Tour today hosted by Rockstar Book Tours

Title: OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG: The Story of Us by Lauren Castillo
Published: May 5, 2020
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 122
                                 Find it:  GoodreadsAmazonKindleB&NibooksKoboTBD Bookshop.org

From a Caldecott Honor-winning artist comes a cozy classic-in-the-making about finding your friends and sticking together through thick and thin.

"Our Friend Hedgehog feels like a modern-day Winnie the Pooh . It's so warm and full of joy and love. It's got classic written all over it."  
 --Victoria Jamieson, 
 Newbery Honor-winning author of Roller Girl

Sometimes you make a friend,
and it feels like you have known that friend your entire life. . . .

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.

The first book in a new series from Caldecott Honor winner Lauren Castillo, Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us has the feel of a timeless classic, introducing an unforgettable cast of characters who will star in many more adventures to come.


Excerpt and my thoughts:  




Hedgehog was happily living on her small island with her dear friend Mutty.  But then one day a storm swept through the island and her dearest friend was carried away.  Missing her friend ever so much, Hedgehog left the comfort of her little island to search for him.  Along the way, Hedgehog meets other woodland animals and a young girl who just moved into their neighborhood.  Hedgehog makes some new unexpected friends who comfort and support her while she tries to find her lost friend.  The pen, pencil, and watercolor illustrations have such a warm and inviting feeling with all the browns, yellows, and reds.  Each of the characters are so kind and supportive of Hedgehog and it really did remind me of Winnie the Pooh.  Not only for how Beaver is a bit surly like Rabbit and how the chicks are like Kanga, and of course the inclusion of a wise owl.  A lovely story that empathizes friendship, kindness, being brave, and provides a nice introduction to this new series from Lauren Castillo.   
         


About Lauren:


Lauren 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, as well as The Troublemaker and Melvin and the Boy. 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.





Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG, US Only.


Tour Schedule:
Week One:
5/1/2020
BookHounds YA Excerpt

Week Two:
5/4/2020
La libreria di Beppe Spotlight
5/5/2020
Reading Connects Us Review
5/6/2020
100 Pages A Day Review
5/7/2020
Little Red Reads Review
5/8/2020
Daily Waffle Excerpt

Week Three:
5/11/2020
Hurn Publications Review
5/12/2020
Locks, Hooks and Books Review
5/13/2020
Beagles & Books Review
5/14/2020
Log Cabin Library Excerpt
5/15/2020
YA Book Nerd Review

Week Four:
5/18/2020
Adventures in Literature Review
5/19/2020
Defining Ways Review
5/20/2020
Two Chicks on Books Interview
5/21/2020
Lifestyle of Me Review
5/22/2020
Cindy's Love of Books Review

Week Five:
5/25/2020
A Dream Within A Dream Excerpt
5/26/2020
Do You Dog-ear? Review
5/27/2020
Such A Novel Idea Review
5/28/2020
Sometimes Leelynn Reads Review
5/29/2020
Twirling Book Princess Excerpt


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