Spikey

Questions from Easiest to Hardest

INTRODUCTION

1. Factual

Who is Spikey?

Where does he live?

Do you think Regent’s Park is the whole wide world?

How long have hedgehogs been on the earth?

How does Grandma Hedgehog describe hedgehogs?

Which senses are the most important for hedgehogs?

How old is Grandma Hedgehog?

How did the other little hedgehogs behave towards Spikey?

What did Spikey think about the other young hedgehogs?

What time of day did the young hedgehogs set off?

How many were in each group of young hedgehogs who set off?

What does Grandma Hedgehog hope Spikey will find?

2. Emotional

What do you think it’s like to live in a park?

How do you think Spikey feels about having one leg a little shorter than the other?

Do you know anyone whom people laughed at? How did this make you feel?

Why was Spikey not lonely?

How do you think Spikey felt when the other hedgehogs would not take him with them?

How do you think Spikey felt when he was the last young hedgehog in the nest?

Have you ever felt left behind?

How would you have helped Spikey if you were a baby hedgehog?

3. Philosophical

What do you think hedgehogs consider to be important?

Why do you think the hedgehogs laughed at Spikey?

Why do you think some people laugh at other people?

Did you ever look after someone? Why?

Do you think Spikey learned anything good from being left behind?

4. Inferential

Why do you think Grandma Hedgehog believes Regent’s Park is the whole wide world?

How do you think Spikey will cope with one leg shorter than the others?

What do you think Spikey did when the other hedgehogs would not play with him?

Where do you think the young hedgehogs were going?

Why does Spikey leave in the morning and not at night-time?

Would it be safer for Spikey to go by himself?

5. Predictive

What do you think might be special about Spikey?

What do you think might be special about you?

What might happen to Spikey in the future?

How do you think Grandma Hedgehog would try to help Spikey?

What are the biggest dangers Spikey might find in the park?

How can Spikey make it easier for himself?

If you were Spikey, what questions would you ask Grandma Hedgehog?

CHAPTER ONE

1. Factual

Where had Spikey been sleeping?

Was Spikey hungry?

How far did Spikey go?

What does Spikey like to eat?

How did Spikey feel when he heard someone crying?

Why was Spikey worried?

How did Spikey speak to the ladybird?

Why was the ladybird worried?

Where did Spikey think was the safest place for the ladybird to sit?

How did the ladybird describe Spikey’s mouth?

How did Spikey describe himself?

Why did the little ladybird stop, and what did she do?

How did she describe Spikey’s face?

What was Spikey’s nose doing?

Why did Spikey keep his nose still?

Why was the ladybird called Spotty Nine?

What did Grandma Hedgehog say?

2. Emotional

How would Spikey have been feeling?

How would Spikey have felt when he was walking?

How would Spikey have felt when he saw the ladybird?

How did Spikey feel about night-time?

Why did Spikey want to help the ladybird?

How would you have felt if you were Spikey?

How would you have felt if you were the little ladybird?

What would the ladybird have been feeling?

How would you feel if you did not have a name?

Do you like your name?

Would you like to be called Spotty Nine?

3. Philosophical

Do you think Spikey liked waking up by himself?

Were there any good things about Spikey walking by himself?

What problem might the ladybird have with Spikey?

What do you think Grandma Hedgehog said about ladybirds?

Was it a good idea for the ladybird to trust Spikey?

If you were a ladybird, and it started to rain, what would you do?

Should Stripey have just stayed sitting quietly hidden under her leaf, waited for her wings to dry and not spoken to Spikey? And then maybe have flown home herself the next day?

Should the ladybird trust Spikey?

Why did Spikey have to behave differently to other hedgehogs?

Do you think the ladybird made the right decision?

Do you think hedgehogs and people can change their behaviour?

Do you like the way ladybirds name their children?

Do you think a name is important?

Is it a good thing that Spikey suggested a new name for Spotty Nine?

4. Inferential

Why was Spikey limping?

What do you think a normal day was like for Spikey?

Why was Spikey sniffing?

What was Spikey hoping to find?

Why do you think there was not much food?

What do you think the ladybird might say on seeing a hedgehog?

Why do you think the little ladybird might have been upset?

What do you believe the ladybird thought of Spikey’s spines?

What do you think the ladybird thought about sitting on Spikey’s nose?

Why did Spikey want to be friends?

What might Grandma Hedgehog have said about Spikey offering the ladybird a lift home?

What might the ladybird’s parents have said?

Why did the little ladybird trust Spikey?

Why did Grandma Hedgehog think that everyone should have a special name?

Why do you think the ladybird is now called Stripey?

Do you think the ladybird likes being called Stripey?

What would the ladybird’s parents, brothers and sisters think of her new name?

5. Predictive

What would you like to happen next?

What do you think Spikey hoped would happen next?

What do you think Spikey might say to the ladybird?

What would the ladybird’s parents have been thinking?

What do you think will happen next?

CHAPTER TWO

1. Factual

Why was Stripey sitting on Spikey’s nose?

How do you recognise a fox?

What colours are foxes?

What had happened to the fox?

What did Spikey not realise?

2. Emotional

How would Stripey and Spikey have felt when they saw the fox?

How did you feel when Stripey and Spikey met the fox?

3. Philosophical

Have you ever made someone happy?

Is it always good to help?

Why do people shout ‘heave’ instead of ‘pull’?

4. Inferential

What would Grandma Hedgehog have said if she saw a fox?

Why did the fox have to wiggle his ears?

What do you think Spikey might have done when he saw the fox if he hadn’t been with Stripey?

5. Predictive

What might happen when the fox gets out of the hole?

What do you think Stripey and Spikey were expecting to happen when the fox got free?

CHAPTER THREE

1. Factual

What did the fox want to do to Stripey and Spikey? Why?

What had Grandma Hedgehog said about foxes?

What did Spikey have to do quickly?

Who did Spikey try to sound like?

What did Stripey say to the fox?

Why was Spikey helping the fox?

Why did the fox’s tummy make a noise?

What did Spikey do?

How did the fox’s face change?

What was wrong with Stripey’s wings?

How was Spikey picking the correct direction?

What was Stripey doing?

Why was the fox getting weaker?

Why did everyone stop moving?

Why would an animal freeze?

Why were Spikey and the fox tired?

How big was the fox?

2. Emotional

How did you feel when the fox was speaking?

How do you think Stripey and Spikey would have been feeling?

How did you feel when you heard Spikey speak? How would the fox have felt?

How did you feel when you heard Stripey speak? How would the fox have felt?

How did you feel when the fox’s tummy made a noise?

How would Stripey and Spikey have felt?

What did you think when Stripey shouted about Spikey’s funny leg?

How would Spikey have felt when Stripey said that?

What saved Spikey when he was panicking and in trouble?

How did the fox feel?

How did Stripey and Spikey feel?

3. Philosophical

Were Stripey and Spikey right to help the fox?

Was the fox fair in his thinking?

Were Stripey and Spikey right to expect the fox to be friendly?

Was it right for Stripey and Spikey to think the fox would change?

How would you describe Stripey and Spikey?

Was it a good thing that Spikey had one leg shorter than the others?

Are you good at telling your left from your right?

How do you know when something will help?

Do we always know what will help us?

Do we always know how someone else will behave?

How can we work out how others will behave?

How did the fox, Stripey and Spikey end up in this situation?

4. Inferential

Why did Spikey start to tremble?

Have you ever had to think quickly?

What do you think the fox thought of his father?

What was Spikey trying to do?

Was Stripey correct in the way she spoke to the fox?

Why did Spikey curl up?

Why were the fox’s feelings being pulled in two different directions?

How will Stripey help Spikey?

How will Spikey help Stripey?

What would have happened to Spikey if Stripey had not been there?

How would any other hedgehog have coped in that situation?

Who is the hero right now?

What might the hound have been thinking?

Do you think the hound might make friends with Spikey, Stripey and the fox?

What does it mean to freeze?

5. Predictive

What do you think Stripey and Spikey expect to happen when the fox is free?

Why is Spikey helping Stripey?

Do you think Spikey will roll in the right direction?

CHAPTER FOUR

1. Factual

Who was the hound speaking to?

Did the hound notice Stripey and Spikey?

How did the fox behave?

How loud did the hound howl?

Why did the hound have his tail between his legs?

What happened to the hound?

Can Spikey fly?

What happened to Spikey? 

2. Emotional

How would the fox have been feeling?

Why was Spikey angry?

How would the hound have been feeling?

Why did Spikey try to help the fox?

How did you feel when Spikey helped the fox?

How would the fox have felt when he was helped by Spikey?

3. Philosophical

Was Spikey right to help the fox?

Was Spikey right to attack the hound?

What do you think Spikey feels is important?

Do we all have feelings hidden inside us?

What would you do now if you were the fox?

What would you do now if you were Spikey?

4. Inferential

What was Spikey hoping to do?

Do you think it might work?

Do you think the fox learned something?

What happened when Spikey was ‘flying’?

5. Predictive

Where was Spikey now?

CHAPTER FIVE 

1. Factual

What do foxes eat?

How many times have Stripey and Spikey helped the fox so far?

What did Stripey call the fox?

Did Stripey trust the fox?

What was wrong with the fox’s nose?

Why was Spikey soggy?

Why was the fox so tired?

What were Spikey’s hedgehog senses doing?

Had everybody eaten or was someone still hungry?

Are hedgehogs ‘polite’ eaters?

 Why do you think one bowl is yellow and one bowl is red?

What does Stripey want? Why?

What does the fox remember as being ‘fat and juicy’ with wiggling legs?

Where is the Rose Garden?

How did Stripey and Spikey get onto the fox’s back?

What was the fox trying to do?

2. Emotional

Do you feel we should trust the fox?

Was Spikey right to help the fox a third time?

How do you feel about Spikey, Stripey and the fox now?

Why was Stripey shouting?

How did the fox feel?

3. Philosophical

When would you help someone who had not helped you?

Why would Spikey have nibbled some of the dog food while the fox was so weak?

Should Spikey trust his hedgehog senses?

What might an aphid think of this conversation?

Can Stripey and Spikey trust the fox now?

What does friendship mean to you?

4. Inferential

How much of the dog food had Spikey eaten?

What had the fox learned this time round?

What do you think a ‘fox promise’ is?

What is wrong with the ladybird?

Do you think foxes or people can change their nature?

Would Stripey and Spikey want to crawl onto the fox’s back?

Can these three be friends?

5. Predictive

Do you think Stripey and Spikey would enjoy the ride? 

CHAPTER SIX

1. Factual

How long had it been since anyone had spoken to the fox?

Why did Spikey call the fox ‘White Tip’?

Would you have suggested as the fox’s name?

What was White Tip doing during the journey?

What plants do you think grow in the Rose Garden?

Why was Stripey being dangerous?

Why was Stripey able to fly now?

What does Stripey want to do?

Why can’t Spikey and White Tip accompany Stripey home?

What is a somersault?

Can you do a somersault yourself?

Who did Stripey fly to the Rose Garden with? Why?

What did Spikey hope?

Why did Spikey and White Tip have blue lips?

Where did Spikey sleep?

What had Spikey’s day been like?

2. Emotional

Why did Stripey suggest the fox names that she did?

Why was Stripey turning somersaults in the air?

Why did White Tip feel proud?

Why did Stripey say she’d had fun?

How would Spikey have felt when Stripey and White Tip left?

How would Spikey have been feeling?

3. Philosophical

Why is what we call ourselves important?

Does this mean that people should be able to choose their own names?

Who chooses our names? Why?

Where is truly home to Stripey?

Where is truly home to Spikey?

Why did White Tip leave so quietly without saying goodbye?

Why was it so important to Spikey to have two friends?

4. Inferential

Why did White Tip not ask them to look out for the hound?

Was this a good decision?

Why do you think it is important to be home in time for a family dinner?

How big does Regent’s Park seem to Spikey, Stripey and White Tip?

Why did Spikey want to curl up and sleep?

What do you think White Tip might do now?

Why did Spikey and White Tip look so small to Stripey at the end?

What did Spikey learn on his journey?

What did Stripey learn on her journey?

What did White Tip learn on his journey?

What did you learn on your journey with Spikey, Stripey and White Tip?

5. Predictive

What do you think might happen to Spikey, Stripey and White Tip tomorrow?