Big Hugs, Little Hugs

PreS-Gr 1—Short and sweet, this ode to the embrace emphasizes that "Everyone hugs all over the world." Employing cheerful imagery and a concise narrative, Bond uses each page to show when, where, and how a different creature hugs. Preschoolers will be immediately drawn to the variety of smiling creatures depicted (many unnamed, but familiar for the most part), while older kids will appreciate the array of simple opposite pairings. "Upstairs/Downstairs/Inside/Outside/… Big hugs/Little hugs/In winter/And summer…." Amusingly, the author even includes a dinosaur family "In the past" and some smiling robotic creatures "…In the future." Charming line drawings of parent-and-child animal pairs, inked on collaged handmade paper, perfectly complement the precious subject matter. Cut origami-paper accents add personality to Bond's already pleasant art. While perhaps not literally true that octopuses, hippos, and chickens all hug, the pleasure shared is aptly conveyed. A good choice for storytime repertoires.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI