Back in November, we (Kea and Melissa) got to hang out with the super kids at two elementary schools in Waldwick, NJ. We challenged them to come up with a character who was 'three-dimensional'. That is, they created a character and revealed it to us through physical appearance, what the character allows others to know about himself/herself, and who the character was deep down on the inside. We received some super responses! Here is one of our favorites:
Ella Hedgehog created by Rachel at Traphagen school
It seems Ella the Hedgehog is everyone's idea of a sweet, cuddly sort of creature. We can see her coloring, features, and stature, but guess what? While the bow in her quills is her favorite color (pink), it changes color in each of her stories. Apparently, we aren't the only ones who love Ella; if people were to run into her on the street, they would want to keep her and her family. This young hedgehog expresses herself through crafting, dancing, and playing with her real magic wand. Her epicurean tastes are on the sophisticated side: She likes French roach and simply must have meat with her Sunday morning breakfast. But don't try to feed her bird!
Ella is a busy hedgehog. She is getting read to become a big sister, and she's working toward her goal of becoming a ballet dancer. However, she might need to work on some of her fears, too. For example, she's terrified of a scoundrel eagle, and she can be distrustful of others at times. Maybe that's why she likes to hang around people who are kind, caring, not shy, and why she is concerned with justice. Since Ella has been known to play with her fur too much, we wonder if that is how she expresses her anxiety before showing panic over her fears.
Ella's parents may wish she were a bit neater, especially when it comes to cleaning her room. However, we don't mind. We would read a story about this cute little character with her baby talk voice and her creative, magical ways any day! Rachel's outline of Ella makes us curious about the possibilities for a story where Ella grows as a character. Would she need to conquer her fear of the eagle in order to be the best big sister ever? Might she need to stop pulling her fur long enough to practice for a ballet recital? Maybe she will need to start using her magic wand for more than fun and games? Hmmm.....
Thanks so much, for introducing us to Ella, Rachel!
Love, Kea & Melissa
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