The Hodgeheg

Story

So what is a ‘hodgeheg?’ Well it is of course a hedgehog who’s had a bump on the head and whose words come out all muddled up when he speaks! This is a funny story about a determined hedgehog called Max. Can he find a safe way to get from his family’s home to the park? If humans can do it, why not hedgehogs?!

Why we chose it

Dick King-Smith’s life-long love of animals gives his animal stories a real warmth. Max and his family are full of character and this is a gentle, witty, much loved story.

Where it came from

Dick King-Smith (1922-2011) was a soldier, farmer, primary school teacher and writer. He loved living on farms and in the English countryside with his family. All his life, he kept animals and so writing stories about them felt natural. Even as a child, he kept and bred budgerigars. Because he was a dad and a primary school teacher, he knew that children loved stories about animals too and he wanted to bring them pleasure through his books.

Where it went next

Since it was first published, The Hodgeheg has been a popular book with children. It is widely read in schools where it has become a firm favourite with generations of children.

Associated stories

King-Smith has written over a hundred stories for children – mostly about animals. His best-known story, The Sheep-Pig, was winner of the Guardian Children’s Book Award and was also made into the Oscar-winning film Babe directed by Chris Noonan and produced by George Miller (1995). Another of King-Smith’s award-winning books was Harriet’s Hare - which received the Children’s Book Award in 1995. In 2010 King-Smith was awarded an OBE for services to children’s literature.