Hug Time
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The New York Times bestselling book that celebrates love and hugs—from beloved MUTTS cartoonist and Caldecott honor-winning artist Patrick McDonnell!
There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug! Jules the kitten (also known in the MUTTS cartoons as "Shtinky Puddin'") knows that hugs can make the world a better place. So he makes a "Hug To-Do List"--with the endangered species of the world at the top--and travels the globe to show all of the animals that someone cares. One hug at a time, this little kitten will make a big difference!
From Africa to the North Pole to his own back yard, Jules proves a hug is the simplest--but kindest--gift we can give. Along the way, he learns that the world is vast, but we can start small with showing our love. With its gently environmental theme, this joyous rhyming story about sharing love is an ideal gift year-round. This sturdy board book features a heart-shaped die-cut on the cover.
Don't miss these other picture books by Patrick McDonnell:
Me…Jane
The Gift of Nothing
The Gift of Everything
Art
Hug Time
Tek
The Little Red Cat Who Ran Away and Learned His ABC's (the Hard Way)
A Perfectly Messed-Up Story
The Monsters’ Monster
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McDonnell (Just Like Heaven), creator of the comic strip Mutts, has a fan base that will greet this book with open arms. The strip's hero, the cat Jules, sets out to hug one of every sort of animal in the world. This large goal is made less overwhelming by the book's diminutive trim size and the conviction on Jules's tiny, wide-eyed face (famous for his big red honker). McDonnell's previous books had sparer palettes; this one combines warm, cream pages with pastel ink-and-watercolor vignettes to pleasing effect. Double-page spreads of snowy Arctic expanses under a moonlit turquoise sky provide a tense moment ("But at the North Pole, Jules sadly found/ What it would be like with no one around"). The artist quickly dispels the audience's concern, because as Jules starts to sniff, a polar bear offers him a hug. Meter and rhyme wobble a bit ("There once was a kitten so filled with love,/ He wanted to give the whole world a hug"), but the sentiment seems to come from the heart. McDonnell's carefully mixed gouaches and his able draftsmanship the rarer the animal, the less likely he is to resort to caricature hint at newly revealed talents. Ages 3-6.
