The Hug
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A beautiful, heartwarming picture book with all the universal appeal of Guess How Much I Love You.
Hedgehog was feeling sad.
As sad as a hedgehog can feel.
So sad only one thing could help . . .
Tortoise was feeling sad.
As sad as a tortoise can feel.
So sad only one thing could help . . .
In this clever flipbook, both a hedgehog and a tortoise are looking for a hug. They ask all the other animals they come across but for some reason no one will hug them. Until a wise owl explains: Hedgehog is too spiky; Tortoise is too bony.
And that's when they find each other!
'Feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.'Kirkus
'A smashing story time tale.'Books for Keeps
'It's utterly lovely. It makes her face light up every time she hears it.'The Guardian Best Books of 2019
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Open this double-sided book one way and meet sad and very cute Tortoise, whose polite request for a restorative hug is met with equally polite but clearly cooked-up excuses from other animals ("Unfortunately, I'm digging a very important hole," says Rabbit, who isn't). "It's your shell," Owl explains. "It's just so very hard. But don't worry, there's someone for everyone." Flip the book over, and it's the same trajectory for sad and adorable Hedgehog, whose quills are the deal-breaker. Tortoise and Hedgehog retreat from the world into tight little spheres of shell and prickles, respectively, until they notice each other. In a vertically oriented spread that serves as a visual center between the two versions, they embrace without any qualms at all, "as happy as two someones can be." Debut author McLaughlin doesn't break new ground in this story of two lonely animals finding comfort and friendship, but he and Dunbar (A Lion Is a Lion) bring a good measure of wit to the story. Dunbar's animal portraits, drawn along a single, cream-colored plane with minimal background detailing, are funny and astute, suggesting that animals can be every bit as awkward and endearing as humans. Ages 3 up.