How to Build a Hug
Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, and Giselle Potter come together to tell the inspiring story of autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin and her brilliant invention: the hug machine.
As a young girl, Temple Grandin loved folding paper kites, making obstacle courses, and building lean-tos. But she really didn’t like hugs. Temple wanted to be held—but to her, hugs felt like being stuffed inside the scratchiest sock in the world; like a tidal wave of dentist drills, sandpaper, and awful cologne, coming at her all at once. Would she ever get to enjoy the comfort of a hug?
Then one day, Temple had an idea. If she couldn’t receive a hug, she would make one…she would build a hug machine!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Guglielmo and Tourville gently present the story behind Grandin's "squeeze machine," describing Grandin's childhood love of building and design, as well as her sensitivities: "Temple did not like scratchy socks, whistling teakettles, bright lights, or smelly perfumes." Hugs, in particular, she found unbearable. But, the authors explain, Grandin discovered that external pressure placed on her body made her feel secure. As an adult, Grandin observed how cows are placed in squeeze chutes to calm them during veterinary exams; this led Grandin to design her own "hug machine." Potter's warm illustrations feature human and animal figures that are reminiscent of folk art dolls while showing Grandin's discomfort with outside stimulation. The authors avoid overt mention of autism in the story, but back matter elaborates on Grandin's life, career, and contributions to autism awareness. Ages 4 8.
