[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
When a girl’s cat gets sick, she offers a hug to help it feel better. Then, a dog asks her for a hug next. Then a family of ducks. And a skunk. The girl continues to say yes, even when she’s uncertain, until things go too far.
Review
This is a cute story with excellent illustrations. I read it twice so I could really take in the changes in the girl’s hair and the condition of her clothes as the story goes on. On the surface, this is a story about the power of hugs, but it seems to have other layers when you take in the illustrations.
A case could be made that this is a book about boundaries. The girl gets to a point where she says no – first when someone goes too far and then again when the requests become overwhelming. There’s no clear discussion of this in the text of the book, but these things could be discussed with kids as the book is read. I could see this fitting perfectly into conversations about kids having the right to say no to requests for hugs, about boundaries with their bodies, and about boundaries in general.
This was great!