Right, let's combine hogs and children's literature. A sweet, sweet picture book entitled The Happy Hedgehog Band (1991 in UK; 1992 in US) is one of my favorite pic books featuring hedgies as main characters. By Martin Waddell of Little Bear & Farmer Duck fame, and illustrated by Jill Barton. Harry the hedgehog makes himself a drum, tum-tum-te-tum. When he plays, deep in the heart of Dickon Wood, Helen the hedgehog hears him, wants to join, and so makes a drum and diddle-diddle-dum. Helen wears cherries in her quills, and a few hang down like earrings to really bring the cute. Two other hedgies join, and their names do not begin with H, thank God. So, the happy hedgehog band plays on, Tum-tum-te-tum, diddle-diddle-dum, ratta-tat-tat, BOOM!
Other animals arrive: a variety of them, some quite large, with surprised looks on their faces, and yell, "STOP!" Here is also the perfect place to stop a read aloud, or a child or group of children reading on her/his/their own, to predict what will happen next. Were these human characters, the hogs would surely be too loud, and that's a possibility. It's definitely worth some while to discuss what could happen at this turning point.
Oh, ok, I'll spill. The other animals want to drum too! But, apparently, hedgehogs are the only animals who know how to make drums. Enterprising Harry suggests sounds each animal can contribute: the pheasant can hum, the owl hoot, the mole clap, the bee buzz, and on & on. Then everyone plays together, and "the dog who was lost in the woods just danced." On the last two double page spreads, the sound effect for each animal is incorporated into the illustrations for some terrific phonological awareness fun! I especially like the spider saying a quiet weee as she swings on her web.
Unfortunately, this text is out of print. But it is just another example of the excellent children's literature that Candlewick Press continues to offer us.
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