Childrens

The Hedgehog of Oz

The Hedgehog of Oz

  • Downloads：8030
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-01 12:51:51
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Cory Leonardo
  • ISBN：1534467599
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

The Wizard of Oz meets The Wind in the Willows in this next middle grade novel from the author of The Simple Art of Flying， in which a theater-dwelling， Oz-loving hedgehog goes on the journey of a lifetime to find his way home in this tale of loyalty， friendship， loss， and hope。

Marcel the hedgehog used to live with his beloved owner Dorothy， but since getting hopelessly lost， he’s tried to forget the happy home he left behind。 Now， Marcel lives a quiet life in the abandoned balcony of The Emerald City Theater where he subsists on dropped popcorn and the Saturday showings of The Wizard of Oz。

But when he’s discovered， Marcel is taken far away from everything he knows and ends up lost once more。 His quest to return to The Emerald City Theater leads him to Mousekinland， where he meets Scamp， a tiny mouse armed with enormous spirit （and a trusty sling-shooter）。 Before long， they’re joined by an old gray squirrel， Ingot， who suffers from bad memories and a broken heart and Tuffy， a baby raccoon lost and afraid in the forest。 And the travelers attract the attention of an owl named Wickedwing， who stalks them as they search for the old theater。

From field to forest， glittering theatre to the gutter， the animals’ road home is a dark and winding journey。 But sometimes you need to get a little lost before you can be found。

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Reviews

Sarah Sammis ，

OrphantHometCornfieldt FF66FF

Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens ，

This utterly charming animal adventure stars a bespectacled hedgehog， a fierce mouseling， a crotchety squirrel， a not-so-tough baby raccoon， plus a couple of theatre chickens。 And it is a delightful homage to the Wizard of Oz。

Karen McKenna ，

When Marcel is taken from his current home at an old movie theater and dropped in the middle of the forest， he begins the adventure of a lifetime to find his way home。 I really liked the cast of characters in this story。 A nearsighted hedgehog， wizened squirrel， sling-shot-wielding squirrel， and baby racoon make an unlikely group， but together they each find what "home" is in many different forms。 Marcel's story touched my heart and had me emotional at the end。 While I am not normally a Wizard o When Marcel is taken from his current home at an old movie theater and dropped in the middle of the forest， he begins the adventure of a lifetime to find his way home。 I really liked the cast of characters in this story。 A nearsighted hedgehog， wizened squirrel， sling-shot-wielding squirrel， and baby racoon make an unlikely group， but together they each find what "home" is in many different forms。 Marcel's story touched my heart and had me emotional at the end。 While I am not normally a Wizard of Oz fan， it was an interesting retelling and some of the elements like the "stinky yellow road" were quite clever。 I do think the length is long for many of my readers， but for students who love animals or fantasy stories and are looking for a challenge， I will be happy to point them to this book。 #LitReviewCrew 。。。more

Faith Hough ，

I admit it: I’m a sucker for animal stories。 I love the fairy-world bits of miniaturism you can add to their stories。 （Tiny hats from acorns！ Petite homes in tree trunks！ I’m all there for it。） I enjoy the fact that animals are automatically diverse， and that I can see myself in， say， a hedgehog， whereas I might feel so different from an English queen or space-age teenage boy that it’s hard to identify–and that an English queen or teenage boy might be able to find themselves in the hedgehog just I admit it: I’m a sucker for animal stories。 I love the fairy-world bits of miniaturism you can add to their stories。 （Tiny hats from acorns！ Petite homes in tree trunks！ I’m all there for it。） I enjoy the fact that animals are automatically diverse， and that I can see myself in， say， a hedgehog， whereas I might feel so different from an English queen or space-age teenage boy that it’s hard to identify–and that an English queen or teenage boy might be able to find themselves in the hedgehog just as well。I also really love the wild weirdness of The Wizard of Oz。 And Cory Leonardo won my devotion in her sweet and funny first book， The Simple Art of Flying。 So you know I jumped on the chance to read her newest release， The Hedgehog of Oz， when it was offered on Netgalley。The story follows a hedgehog named Marcel who lives in an old， beautiful movie theater。 He dines on spilled popcorn and fruit gems （strawberry ones are his favorite） and enjoys the camaraderie of two chickens， “Uncle” Henrietta and “Aunty” Hen， that wandered into the theater as well。 He lives in hope that one day his human girl Dorothy will come into the theater for a Saturday viewing of their favorite movie， The Wizard of Oz， so he can right the wrong he committed and they can be reunited。 But soon Marcel is thrown into an Oz-worthy adventure of his own， complete with yellow roads， flying beasts， and companions who know a thing or two about brains， heart， and courage。 Of course， he must learn–just like Dorothy in the book and film–how to use his own brain， heart， and boldness to make his way back home where he belongs。As in The Simple Art of Flying， Cory Leonardo proves here that she is a master of character development–especially the type of quirky and lovable characters that I seem to love the best in books for young readers。 Marcel is a delightful little hedgehog， but he may be eclipsed in delightfulness by his companions， a scarecrow of a mouse named Scamp， an old squirrel named Ingot， and a baby raccoon called Tuffy。 Scamp the mouse， in particular， was a superb character who joins the ranks of Reepicheep of Narnia and Matthias of Redwall as Mice to Remember。If you don’t love The Wizard of Oz， you may find the overt and frequent references to that book/movie a little much。 I did pause a few times during the first half of the book to consider whether even I found them overdone–but I will honestly say that by the second half of the book， Marcel’s story became so compelling on its own that I couldn’t be bothered to consider any longer。 I just wanted to see what happened–even if I was pretty sure he was going to end up facing a witch， meeting a good fairy， and ending up with “no place like home。” （He did， and it was perfect。）I already hand-sold this title to an eight-year-old reader （and her mom） who I happened to see glancing at it at our local bookstore， and I will heartily recommend it here to readers of the 7-10 range most especially， particularly if they like animal stories or Oz！ Parents of young but gifted readers will be grateful for a story that is gentle enough for a seven-year-old， yet compelling enough to maintain their interest。 。。。more

Lisa D ，

What a cute animal adventure with a wizard of oz theme ！ Loved it！ Too cute！ Really well written！ If you love animal adventures， you will love this book！ Highly recommended！

Christie ，

Lovely adventure with adorable animal friends on a quest to find home。 For those who feel lost， this story can be a reminder that you are not alone， and that a little bit of hope can go a long way。

Naomi Milliner ，

And， she's done it again。 Just as in her lovely debut novel， THE SIMPLE ART OF FLYING， Leonardo has crafted another book with a whimsical plot， charming and lovable characters， and brimming with heart。 It will make you smile and tear up along the journey， and you'll want to visit this book again and again。 And， she's done it again。 Just as in her lovely debut novel， THE SIMPLE ART OF FLYING， Leonardo has crafted another book with a whimsical plot， charming and lovable characters， and brimming with heart。 It will make you smile and tear up along the journey， and you'll want to visit this book again and again。 。。。more

bjneary ，

I read this animal main character for the #BitAboutBooks Winter reading Challenge and LOVED the animals and their adventures as try to help each other find home。 Marcel is the sweetest main character; as a hedgehog he has fears but he is a leader as he watches over his friends （hens） Aunt Hen and Uncle Henrietta scavenge for food in his beloved Emerald City Theatre。 When his world is crashed; men chasing them and Marcel loosing his friends and being spirited away in a truck， all Marcel wants to I read this animal main character for the #BitAboutBooks Winter reading Challenge and LOVED the animals and their adventures as try to help each other find home。 Marcel is the sweetest main character; as a hedgehog he has fears but he is a leader as he watches over his friends （hens） Aunt Hen and Uncle Henrietta scavenge for food in his beloved Emerald City Theatre。 When his world is crashed; men chasing them and Marcel loosing his friends and being spirited away in a truck， all Marcel wants to do is go home。 The reader learns he had a wonderful owner， Dorothy， who took him to the movies and took the best care of him， until a boy comes around and Marcel thinks he has been forgotten。 I loved Leonardo's worldbuilding--thrill tingling adventure abounds in the movie theatre and the woods， as Marcel makes friends with Oma the moth， Scamp the tiny but heroic mouse， crusty older Ingot the squirrel， and mighty baby raccoon， Tuffy。 Middle grade readers will love these animals/pets and their friendships， loyalty， and courage as they search for "home" family and friends。 A must read！ 。。。more

Bonnie Grover ，

Oh my goodness， all the feels！ This whimsical middle-grade book reminded me exactly why I love books in which animals are the main characters。 And it connects beautifully with one of my favorite movies， “The Wizard of Oz”。 This is the story of Marcel the Hedgehog and his journey to find his owner who just happens to be a 12-year-old girl named Dorothy。 Through a series of events he teams up with Scamp， a tiny mouse， an old gray squirrel named Ingot， and Tuffy a baby raccoon who is anything but t Oh my goodness， all the feels！ This whimsical middle-grade book reminded me exactly why I love books in which animals are the main characters。 And it connects beautifully with one of my favorite movies， “The Wizard of Oz”。 This is the story of Marcel the Hedgehog and his journey to find his owner who just happens to be a 12-year-old girl named Dorothy。 Through a series of events he teams up with Scamp， a tiny mouse， an old gray squirrel named Ingot， and Tuffy a baby raccoon who is anything but tough。 The Hedgehog of Oz is a story of adventure， friendship and hope and is filled throughout with little nuggets of wisdom， “Sometimes you can’t know what you’ve lost until it’s sitting right there in front of you。” For students who have never read “The Wizard of Oz” or seen the movie， it would be great to help them build a little background knowledge in order to enjoy this book even more， but certainly not necessary。 。。。more

Melissa ，

Be

Stormi （BMReviewsohmy） ，

The Hedgehog of Oz was a whimsical， fun and heartwarming story！ It's a story of friendship， family and courage。Marcel is a hedgehog who has been passed around because a kid things they want him but then they don't because he is a little prickly。 Then he meets Dorothy his latest owner and thought he had found a real home。 She would take him to the theater and they would watch all sorts of movies but their favorite was The Wizard of Oz。Then one day she meets a boy and Marcel gets it in his head （w The Hedgehog of Oz was a whimsical， fun and heartwarming story！ It's a story of friendship， family and courage。Marcel is a hedgehog who has been passed around because a kid things they want him but then they don't because he is a little prickly。 Then he meets Dorothy his latest owner and thought he had found a real home。 She would take him to the theater and they would watch all sorts of movies but their favorite was The Wizard of Oz。Then one day she meets a boy and Marcel gets it in his head （with the help of a bird） that he is not as wanted and once you leave the nest you can never go back， etc。 He leaves her backpack one day and before he knew it he was lost and he felt it really was true that you can never go back。 He now lives in the Emerald City Theater where he meets two hens， he calls them Aunt Hen and Uncle Henrietta （for Aunt Em and Uncle Henry from The Wizard of Oz）。Things were going good there for him and the two hens until one day something terrible happens， the theater is closed down and he is rounded up and put in a crate and dumped out in the middle of nowhere。 His crate is tossed and it tumbles down a hill right into Mouskinland！ :） His crate has done them a big favor as it landed on the nasty milk snake that was stalking the poor little mice。You can pretty much see where this is going。 He wants to go back the the theater to his two hen friends and along the way he meets a few friends to help him。 First there is Scamp a feisty young mouse who is always full of ideas but they get her into a lot of trouble。 Maybe sometimes she just doesn't use her brain as she should。 She think she can get him back home especially if they follow the yellow stinky water （ends up being yellow paint）。 As they travel they have to keep an eye open for the Wickedwing a very scary Owl everyone calls a witch。 When they hid from it they meet Ingot a grump ole squirrel whose heart is a bit rusty because he has had some sad things happen to him。 As they travel they again meet someone who growls at them because he is scared and trying to be brave。 Tuffy is a baby raccoon who sort of met the same fate as Marcel and was taken from the city and his family in a car and dumped。 So he wants to travel with them and find his parents。It's not an easy journey and along the way they have obstacle that they have to get around， not only just the Wickedwing but some nasty rats， scary trees， etc。I loved all the characters in this book except of course for the bad Owl and rats！ I think out of all of them Tuffy was my favorite as he just sounded so cute！It was such a fun story that was very similar to Wizard of Oz but also different enough to be its own fun little story about a group who form a friendship and help each other as they journey to the city to find the Emerald Theater。 It had a bit sadder ending that I had anticipated but overall I really had a lot of fun with this cute story centered around these adorable animals！ My only complaint is I wish there was illustrations。 I kind of hope there would be some in the final product as it would have been so cute to see pictures of their adventures。I think kids and adults alike will enjoy this one！ 。。。more

Shari ，

This book is magical！ I love reimagined classics and tales， and this one filled my heart up！ So often， though， children are not familiar enough with the original story to make the connections on their own。 I really loved that Cory Leonardo leads them along the yellow brick road， helping young readers make the connections。 I think it is highly likely that many kids will want to read The Wizard of Oz after reading this， rather than the other way around。 Marcel the hedgehog has a seemingly contente This book is magical！ I love reimagined classics and tales， and this one filled my heart up！ So often， though， children are not familiar enough with the original story to make the connections on their own。 I really loved that Cory Leonardo leads them along the yellow brick road， helping young readers make the connections。 I think it is highly likely that many kids will want to read The Wizard of Oz after reading this， rather than the other way around。 Marcel the hedgehog has a seemingly contented life， hiding out with two chickens in an old theater called The Emerald City， watching "The Wizard of Oz" every Saturday afternoon， and scavenging for popcorn and Fruit Gems left behind by moviegoers。 When Marcel is caught， removed from the theater， and dumped unceremoniously into the middle of Mousekinland， the journey begins and Marcel himself points out the connections to the Oz story as we begin to unravel his own story before he came to the Emerald City。 The premise will draw readers in， but the characters themselves are the heart of this story: Scamp with her big ideas and bold courage; Ingot's gruff kindness and humble leadership; Tuffy's loyalty and affection; and Marcel， who brings out the best in those around him， loves through his own grief， and keeps doing the next right thing。 I laughed out loud and cried my way through a box of kleenex， and loved these characters so much！ As much as it is an homage to the Wizard of Oz， readers do not have to read the original first to enjoy this book， though even long-time fans may want to reread it afterward！Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the eARC。 Opinions are all my own！ 。。。more

Kathie ，

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book。It was the adorable cover of this book that initially drew me to it， and I was very intrigued by the premise and the parallel to The Wizard of Oz。 Although I'm generally not a fan of anthropomorphic stories， I though this one was done very well， and will be a crowd pleaser， although its length will limit its readership in my library。 I'd recommend this story for kids who are young， strong readers looking for a book that will chal Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an eARC of this book。It was the adorable cover of this book that initially drew me to it， and I was very intrigued by the premise and the parallel to The Wizard of Oz。 Although I'm generally not a fan of anthropomorphic stories， I though this one was done very well， and will be a crowd pleaser， although its length will limit its readership in my library。 I'd recommend this story for kids who are young， strong readers looking for a book that will challenge them without the mature content that often comes along with that; I would have given this book to my avid reader at 7 or 8 who loved an immersive fantasy story。 。。。more

Ella Rowan ，

Such a darling story and premise！ The cover alone is sure to be a hit with students。 The world-building is wonderful and the writing shines。 Leonardo is a middle grade voice to watch。 This was a delightful ARC！

Chris Baron ，

THE HEDGEHOG OF OZ is a gem。 Marcel the hedgehog was happy living in the abandoned balcony of The Emerald City Theater。 But nothing lasts forever。 it's not long before there's a mouse， a squirrel， and a host of other surprises。 All the characters are engaging and adorable， but for me， it's the beautiful storytelling that will make this one to remember 。 THE HEDGEHOG OF OZ is a gem。 Marcel the hedgehog was happy living in the abandoned balcony of The Emerald City Theater。 But nothing lasts forever。 it's not long before there's a mouse， a squirrel， and a host of other surprises。 All the characters are engaging and adorable， but for me， it's the beautiful storytelling that will make this one to remember 。 。。。more

Rajani LaRocca ，

I loved this book about Marcel the Hedgehog and his quest to return to the Emerald City theater and his beloved girl， Dorothy。 This heartwarming story features fun animal characters on a quest to find home， with resonant themes of friendship and family。

Sara Magnafichi ，

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an ARC with #Collabookation。 If you have any love for the Wizard of Oz， you will love this story。 Little Marcel's adventure to find the Emerald City Theater is one of friendship， compassion， adventure， and trials。 Who knew that a little hedgehog could be so endearing？ The character development of these characters， all animals， will you feel as if you have been friends with them forever。 Available Feb。 2021。 Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an ARC with #Collabookation。 If you have any love for the Wizard of Oz， you will love this story。 Little Marcel's adventure to find the Emerald City Theater is one of friendship， compassion， adventure， and trials。 Who knew that a little hedgehog could be so endearing？ The character development of these characters， all animals， will you feel as if you have been friends with them forever。 Available Feb。 2021。 。。。more

Gillian ，

If you like beautifully written stories， adorable animal characters， and a dash of adventure then you will LOVE Cory Leonardo's THE HEDGEHOG OF OZ！ I was immediately smitten with Marcel， the bespectacled hedgehog who lives in the balcony of the Emerald City Theater。 I don't want to spoil a moment of this delightful book so I'll just say that there are strong themes of family and friendship and you will absolutely love the animal pals he ends up teaming up with。 Such a special book！ If you like beautifully written stories， adorable animal characters， and a dash of adventure then you will LOVE Cory Leonardo's THE HEDGEHOG OF OZ！ I was immediately smitten with Marcel， the bespectacled hedgehog who lives in the balcony of the Emerald City Theater。 I don't want to spoil a moment of this delightful book so I'll just say that there are strong themes of family and friendship and you will absolutely love the animal pals he ends up teaming up with。 Such a special book！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Hedgehog of Oz

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Hedgehog of Oz&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Hedgehog of Oz&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0