Celebrating SCHOOL FOR WOODLAND CREATURES, the third book in the series OUR FRIEND HEDGEHOG. Join us for a free Book Party, Storytime, and Signing in July.

Saturday, July 18th at 10am

It’s the first day of school for Hedgehog and her forest friends in this cozy classroom caper about overcoming doubts and letting your light shine, with full-color art on every page from a beloved Caldecott Honor winner, Lauren Castillo.

We all have different strengths and weaknesses,
Our uniqueness is what makes us shine…

When the humans of Hedge Hollow head off to school, Hedgehog and her furry, feathery friends decide to start a school of their very own!

Owl will teach reading. Beaver will teach shop. Mole will teach geography. Hen will teach math. And Hedgehog . . . Hedgehog isn’t so sure. After all, you have to be an expert to teach a class, don’t you? Hedgehog doesn’t feel like an expert in anything. Lucky for Hedgehog her friends are happy to lend a paw, sharing laughter and kind words as they figure out a solution.

From the award-winning author-illustrator of Our Friend Hedgehog: The Story of Us comes a tale of overcoming doubts and taking pride in doing what you love.

LAUREN CASTILLO studied illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art and received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Honor-winning book Nana in the City, as well as The Troublemaker and Melvin and the Boy. She currently draws and dreams in Harrisburg, PA.

Visit her at laurencastillo.com
Follow her on Instagram at @studiocastillo

MEET THE AUTHOR! Join us for a free Book Launch Party, Story Time, and Signing at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, on Saturday, July 18, 2026, 10am-12pm. 

Where to park:

FREE PARKING is available in the bookstore's dedicated parking lot behind the store, as well as around the neighboring Broad Street Market and in the municipal lot at 6th and Verbeke Streets. Metered street parking is available on the ParkMobile app.

Acclaimed illustrator and children’s author Amy June Bates joins us for a special storytime with her daughter and co-author, Juniper Bates! Their new children’s book, The Big Umbrella, offers a timely and timeless picture book about acceptance. 

About the Book: 

In the tradition of Alison McGhee’s Someday, beloved illustrator Amy June Bates makes her authorial debut alongside her eleven-year-old daughter.

By the door there is an umbrella. It is big. It is so big that when it starts to rain there is room for everyone underneath. It doesn’t matter if you are tall. Or plaid. Or hairy. It doesn’t matter how many legs you have.

Don’t worry that there won’t be enough room under the umbrella. Because there will always be room.

Lush illustrations and simple, lyrical text subtly address themes of inclusion and tolerance in this sweet story that accomplished illustrator Amy June Bates cowrote with her daughter, Juniper, while walking to school together in the rain.

About the Authors:

Amy June Bates has illustrated many picture books, including Sweet Dreams and That’s What I’d Do, both by singer-songwriter Jewel; Hillary Rodham Clinton by Kathleen Krull; and The Brothers Kennedy, also by Kathleen Krull. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three children.

Juniper Bates was in sixth grade when she and her mom, Amy June Bates, came up with the idea for The Big Umbrella while sharing an umbrella in a rainstorm. Juniper loves music, skiing, books, and puddles she can jump in. Juniper lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, with their family and dog, Rosebud.