You can't cut a curved seam on the fold. Poor little mole would have a deformed spine. I would suggest using felt and doing it as a class project. The body seams can be handsewn without a concern about raw edges - whipstitching can look cute, then the features can be glued on or sewn on by hand. Giving the mole his own personality could be done outside of class.
Oops, I just reread your post. It's not your class. I'd still recommend felt with sewing the major seams and gluing the features, then your student can personalize it on her own.