Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The father and son authors of this picture book survey hug types gentle, rambunctious, and in-between, humorously detailing variations of the embrace for an array of situations. In each spread, the name of a particular hug style appears alongside one of Lilly's wispy, sketch-lined images of adults and children demonstrating the interaction. Using ample white space, blocks of color pop in the depictions of people with a range of abilities and skin tones wearing brightly accented clothing or accessories. Hug type "the Frontpack" accompanies an image of an adult who uses a prosthetic leg holding a child to their front; "the Flying Squirrel" envisages a collision about to occur; and "the Necklace" attends an image of a child hanging from an adult's neck. A final spread invites readers to experiment with a bonus list of hug styles, including "the Hot Cocoa," "the Tuba" and "the Puppy Hug." Ages 2--5. (Dec.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2--Who needs a hug? Everyone does, as this brief but delightful book explains. People of every skin tone, body size, age, and physical ability are shown embracing in all the variations that seem humanly possible, only the authors give outrageously funny names to these positions. The "koala" shows the child hanging on an adult's leg; the "flying squirrel" is executed by leaping from a bed. A child with arms wrapped around a grandpa's neck demonstrates the "necklace," while another perched on the arm of a parent's wheelchair shows us the "rolling hug." "Classic," "frontpack," "backpack," and "blindfold," are among the many variations, along with the "tantrum" hug and the "work at home" hug. At the end, there's even a compilation of additional positions for those wishing to experiment with showing affection in new ways. Colorful artwork conveys energy and joy in this very clever concept book. VERDICT Perhaps even more important in a world reeling from a pandemic, this is a not-to-miss addition for all collections.--Gloria Koster
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Spreading the love, one hug and one family at a time. Joshua David Stein and his son Augustus, a fifth grader, compile an assortment of hug types. Each spread lists the name of a hug and includes a simple yet joyous, loose-lined illustration. There's the Sloth (a brown-skinned child treats a brown-skinned adult like a jungle gym, wrapping their limbs around the adult's arm) and the Tantrum (a bawling, tan-skinned child clutching a tan-skinned adult's ankles). Readers might know the Backpack as a piggyback ride. There are more than 20 hugs here, but those still eager for more ways to express their affection will appreciate the final page, which suggests the names of 22 more to try. The book is inclusive in its depictions of family, making this a wonderful baby shower or adoption celebration present. One grown-up wears a hijab. A pair of White-presenting older adults are seen with a child--perhaps grandparents raising a little one. A White-presenting adult gives a nighttime hug to a child with dark brown skin and hair, and a later image shows the two as part of a multiracial family. With the Rolling Hug, a White-presenting adult using a motorized wheelchair gives a ride and hug to a child. Readers will definitely be feeling the love by the end of this warm and reassuring testament to hugs. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Make room on the shelf for this book that captures the creativity and universality of love. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
