A Stem-Sized Hug

A little hug. A softer place to settle. A quiet goodnight.

Evening comes to a hanging basket, where Toma the tiny mantis rests on his leaf beside a black-eyed susan. He wants a little hug with his flower friend. But his first try feels hunchy and bunchy.

Then his chest and belly ease down onto the leaf. His loose forelegs rest around the slender stem. There: a stem-sized hug.

With gentle repetition and watercolor washes that deepen from late gold to night indigo, A Stem-Sized Hug follows two small friends into stillness and sleep. Written for ages 2–4, this quiet read-aloud celebrates a tiny garden friendship without peril or rescue.

For bedtime, naptime, and the last quiet story of the day.