Review by Booklist Review
Charming illustrations and a rhyming text combine for a pleasing read-aloud about loving parents and their offspring. How do you do it, my sweet beetle bug? / You're ever so clever at giving a hug / You snuggle so nicely, it really is true . . . / Nobody, nowhere, can cuddle like you! Koalas, ladybugs, worms, tigers, seals, mice, bunnies, and birds are just a few of the creatures pictured here, showing personified affection for one another. A human mother narrates, using terms of endearment for her child, such as bug, duckling, and dove. The large, textured, digital double-page-spread illustrations show little critters with a parent and are reminiscent of the work of Eric Carle and Michael Hall. Happy animal families in loving embraces are depicted in bright, bold colors. The endpapers reveal cute lightning bugs flying together during the day and at night, emitting their subtle glow, in this soothing picture book ideal for sharing at bedtime.--Maryann Owen Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In bright, layered art that calls to mind Eric Carle's collages, Frost depicts animals of all varieties expressing their affection through embrace. Baby mice and their parents cuddle in a lazy wheat field: "When we cozy up in our sweet comfy nest,/ you're so squishy-squashy.../ You're simply the best!" A mother duck urges her ducklings to join her out of the pond: "So come here this instant,/ my duckling, my dear./ Just waddle up to me,/ I need you right here." At the end, a child appears comfortable and secure sleeping on his mother's lap; outside the window, readers can see the silhouettes of an owlet and owl on a tree branch, the golden moon hanging low. The buoyant verse and lively artwork offer particularly strong read-aloud appeal. Ages 3-6. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-This is a charming tale of love and how it is celebrated with cuddles and hugs in all species. "When we cozy up in our sweet comfy nest,/you're so squishy-squashy./You're simply the best!" Viewers see animals of all sizes including mice, elephants, ducks, koalas, and penguins, and the babies hug their parents their own way. It becomes evident that a hug is the universal language of love and comfort as the book comes full circle with a human mother and child cuddling at day's end. A spread of a koala family has a vertical orientation, which gives readers the illusion of looking up to see the koalas in the tree. Colorful, mixed media illustrations surround rhyming text that creates a singsong rhythm, making for a wonderful read-aloud or bedtime story. VERDICT Perfect for lapsit and toddler read-alouds. Children will be able to relate to the parent/child relationships as well as the familiar animals and habitats.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Grown-ups glory in the hugs and snuggles of their offspring.Various species of adorable, big-eyed cartoon animals take a turn in telling about (or asking for) the wonderful hugs their little ones give. "How do you do it, my sweet beetle bug? / You're ever so clever at giving a hug // You snuggle so nicely, it really is true / Nobody, nowhere, can cuddle like you!" The illustration that accompanies the first couplet shows a ladybug, a spider, a millipede, and a snail snuggling with their offspring (depicted as miniatures of the adults); that for the second presents a seal and their child nose to nose. Other snugglers include field mice, elephants, ducks, koalas, tigers, bluebirds, rabbits, foxes, and penguins. The final spread shows a light-skinned mother and her brown-skinned child snuggling in bed; a photo on the bedside table shows the two along with dad, who is darker than his child: "And mommies and daddies / throughout the land, / we know that it's true / yes, we all understand // that nestled in burrows or curled under rugs / the littlest things give / the loveliest hugs!" Frost uses bright colors in jewel tones, and her characters, both humans and animals, are central in the illustrations, close-ups keeping the focus on the warm relationships. But although the pictures are adorable and kids do love to snuggle, there's little here that hasn't been done before, and perhaps better.New and prospective parents may eat this upif they find it before all the others like it. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
