Friendship Lost. Friendship Found.

In our collective memories most of our first (and sometimes our only) best friends are not human.  We may find an animal in the wild who visits us, or we visit.  Perhaps we hold a special place in our hearts for an animal who has resided in our homes, currently or in the past.  For many the comfort and confidence provided by a toy is the key to our contentment.  If in the presence of a wild animal, an animal who lives with us or a beloved toy we feel all is right with the world, then this individual is the truest of friends.

This special kind of friendship is cherished.  If it is taken from us, we do whatever is necessary to regain it.  And that journey, if we are fortunate, reveals rewards we can never have expected.  In her first longer book, the start in a series, author illustrator Lauren Castillo generously gives us Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story Of Us (Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, May 5, 2020).  These nine chapters plus an introduction are 128 pages of heartwarming enchantment certain to resonate with generations of readers.

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

For a long time on an island lived Hedgehog and her friend Mutty, a toy stuffed dog.  They were inseparable living a life of soothing satisfaction. Their lives were suddenly upended on the day of the Terrible Storm.  Mutty, in a swirl of wild wind, blew from the island and Hedgehog.

Shaking off her deep despair, Hedgehog left the island, swimming to the forest.  Despite calling and calling for Mutty, he was not found.  Deciding to rest on a pile of leaves for the night, Hedgehog found herself plunging down a hole.  Wow!  Hedgehog landed in Mole's home.  The kindly creature with a flair for languages had a plan for finding Mutty.  The newly formed duo headed through tunnels, seeking Owl, who resided at Lookout Point.

Owl, displaying definitive wisdom and astute physical qualities, bolstered the saddened Hedgehog and her new pal, Mole.  A notebook, a drawing, and a flight to gather ideas was the next phase of this quest.  Three hearts and heads provided companionship and clarity.  At Beaver's dam, amid his gruff denials, a discovery was made.

A rousing ride on the river, a treasure-hunting mother and a lost photograph pointed the group of animals toward a home on a hill.  A girl, Annika Mae Flores, held the key to Hedgehog's happiness.  Collected clues created a new tale, a tale of friends rescuing each other and themselves.


To have this narrative told in the voice of Annika Mae Flores, means she is the kind of person with a tender and listening heart.  It indicates as an author Lauren Castillo wanted this character to hear all the other stories before creating a single story of the further adventures of this cast.  It is as if Annika Mae Flores is a weaver gathering threads to fashion a beautiful tapestry of their shared lives.

Each chapter heading with a minimum amount of words describes a character, an object, or a feeling.  In these chapters Lauren Castillo uses language to depict places and events vividly.  Her dialogue shapes the characters' personalities for readers.  Here are several passages.

She took a deep breath, jumped in, and set
off on a journey to find her dear friend.
The river was rough, but luckily Hedgehog
was a good swimmer.  She could swim all
the strokes, including the backstroke (which
was her favorite.) 

"Hooty hoot, who goes there?" called
Owl.  Owl never missed a trick.
"Guten Tag, Owl! Good day," said Mole.
"This is my new friend, Hedgehog.  She
needs our help."
"Help?" Owl perked up.  "What kind of
help?"
"I lost my best friend, in the . . . " Hedgehog
trailed off, beginning to weep again.
"Foggy weather is terrible for hide-and-
seek, my little hoglet."
Mole spoke for Hedgehog.  "We are not
playing hide-and-seek, Owl.  We are talking
about a friend in peril."
"Hmm, peril?" Owl pondered.  "You mean
very serious and immediate danger.  Well,
I do happen to have fast wings and excellent eyes.


(Please note I am writing this blog post using an ARC.)

In a pleasing scene of the area near the river, Lauren Castillo has framed the friends in greenery teaming with life.  Tiny ladybugs, several butterflies and a comical snail join the companions.  Each of the friends, Hen and Chicks, Beaver, Hedgehog, Mutty, Mole, Annika Mae and Owl are exhibiting their most endearing qualities within a full color palette.

To the left, on the back, with their backs to us sit the friends.  With a large sunflower on the left and a tall marsh flower on the right, they are seated in between them.  First is Hen and Chicks (One chick is perched on the sunflower.), then comes Owl, followed by Annika Mae, Mutty, Hedgehog with an arm around Mutty, Beaver and finally Mole. Above them the introduction is placed.

On the opening endpapers is a map of Hedge Hollow.  Hedgehog's Island, Mole's Hole, Owl's Lookout, Hen and Chicks' Marsh and Beaver's Dam are shown and labeled.  On the top of the hill with the river winding around and behind it is Annika Mae's House.  This is followed by an initial title page with Hedgehog and Mutty seated and facing each other.  Hedgehog is on the left on a white canvas, facing the formal title page.  With a page turn, opposite the publication information, is the dedication page.  This dedication says a lot about Lauren Castillo and this book.

After the Table of Contents is The Cast.  Here we meet all the characters, left to right in a row.  Before each chapter begins a double-page picture displays the essence of what readers can expect.  Taped to (placed on) this image is a meaningful photograph.  Above each chapter beginning is a stamp done in black.  It is a single symbol representing the chapter.

These illustrations rendered

using pen, pencils, watercolor, and Photoshop

shift in size to punctuate the pacing.  They may be a cluster of three small illustrations on a single page, single-page pictures, double-page pictures or a full-page visual extending over the gutter.  The attributes on the characters are detailed and textured.  (You'll find yourself wanting to hug all of them, even somewhat grumpy Beaver.)  The elements in their homes will have readers stopping to notice each one.  They have been carefully placed with purpose.  Lauren Castillo has used white space with excellence.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is across the top half of two pages with the narrative underneath it.  We are inside Mole's Hole.  On the left buttons are on the walls acting as hooks.  To the right of them is a handheld mirror upside down.  There are several acorns and a mushroom.  To the right of the gutter is Hedgehog looking at Mole on the right.  She is standing in the doorway to a tunnel.  A wreath of leaves arches over this opening.  This picture exhibits a friendship forming.


This enchanting tale of single stories becoming part of a greater story is one of the most heartwarming stories of 2020. Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story Of Us written and illustrated by Lauren Castillo is one of those books you'll read over and over again for the joy which builds from beginning to end.  Like life, there are moments of sadness and struggle, but love and companionship triumph.  We can all be grateful to Lauren Castillo for giving us this marvelous book you'll want to have on your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Lauren Castillo and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her personal website.  Her blog is linked here.  Lauren Castillo has accounts on Facebook,  Instagram and Twitter.  Lauren Castillo and this book are featured on teacher librarian extraordinaire Travis Jonker's blog, 100 Scope Notes at School Library Journal.  You'll love seeing all the process artwork.  At Scholastic's Ambassador of School Libraries John Schumacher's Watch. Connect. Read., Lauren is showcased for the cover reveal and conversation and book trailer premiere in a second post.  Both are linked here.  Last week Lauren Castillo did a virtual book launch with an interactive video presentation at Midtown Scholar Bookstore. We could comment during the launch and ask questions later.  It is linked here.

UPDATE:  Please take a few moments to read this interview about this title with Lauren Castillo in Kirkus.  Lauren Castillo has created several printable activity sheets for readers linked here and here.