This book
was recommended to me by writer Erika David, who also has the dream job of
working in the children’s department of a bookstore. I’m so happy she told me about this one
because it’s tons of fun!
Summary from the publisher:
When super
cheerful Stick and grumpy stuffed bunny Huggie get thrown from a backpack, the
adventure is on! Together this odd couple survives encounters with sea-faring
pirates, raging rhinos in Africa, sword-wielding royalty in Europe,
stick-eating panda bears in Asia, sharks in Australia, hungry penguins in
Antarctica, and piranhas in South America–all before finally making it home to
North America. A fantastically funny read-aloud about two unlikely friends and
their epic journey around the world.
The Epic Adventures of Huggie &
Stick was written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by David Spencer. It was
published by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House in 2018.
Opening:
Huggie and Stick belonged to a little
boy named Reece, and like many things that belong to little boys, they spend a
good part of their time being lugged around in a backpack.
My Thoughts as a Writer:
What a great
book to study for learning about voice. I love the two different personalities
of the main characters that come through in the letters they write. It’s really
fun to see two different perspectives on the same experience. The illustrations
are great and add to the humor, especially the little doodle drawings on the
letters.
My Thoughts as an Educator:
I can see
this being a big hit with young children. It’d be great to include this in an
author study about Drew Daywalt. I might also use this book to introduce the
idea of different points of view. It would be fun to assign pairs of students
to a random experience, have them each write a letter and then read the results.
Ages: 4 - 9
Grades: K – 4
Themes: letter-writing, adventure, perspectives
Activities:
Write: Pick
a random event (or one of your own experiences) and write two letters showing
how different characters might view the experience.
Explore:
Choose one of the continents in the book and do some research. What would you
find if you visited? Create a “postcard” from your imaginary adventure.
Draw: What
will happen to Huggie & Stick on their next adventure? Draw a picture or
two to show your ideas!
STEM
challenge: Can you design a backpack that will keep Huggie & Stick from
getting lost (or escaping)?
