Don't Hug Doug: (He Doesn't Like It)

by Carrie Finison (Author) Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Meet Doug, an ordinary kid who doesn't like hugs, in this fun and exuberant story which aims to spark discussions about bodily autonomy and consent--from author Carrie Finison and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People, Daniel Wiseman.

Doug doesn't like hugs. He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn't like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn't like birthday hugs. He'd much rather give a high five--or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don't. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There's only one way to find out: Ask! Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

This upbeat, second person-perspective narrative introduces readers to Doug, a smiling child with dark hair, light brown skin, and round red glasses, who does not like hugs--the lone exception being a "JUST RIGHT/ bedtime hug /from his mom." In rapid-fire parallel sentences, characters suggest situations in which Doug might like a hug ("hello hugs," "goodbye hugs," "game-winning home run hugs," and "dropped ice cream cone hugs" round out one paneled page) before Doug shuts each of them down firmly with a friendly smile and a negatory response. "Don't worry--Doug likes YOU," Finison's assured text declares. "He just doesn't like HUGS." Wiseman's digital art has a simple, bold allure, supplemented by panels and speech bubbles. A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact. Ages 3-7. (Jan.)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

* A cheerful approach to basic consent . . . An excellent update on the golden rule: treat people how they want to be treated. —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact. —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Simple and effective in showing young viewers how to establish bodily autonomy . . . A great starting point for a conversation about boundaries and how to set them. —BCCB
Carrie Finison
Carrie Finison can't remember a time when she didn't love reading picture books, and now she writes them as well. Her favorite themes are friendship, encouragement, and doughnuts! When she's not writing in her cozy attic office, Carrie loves reading mystery novels, trying new recipes, and hanging out with her husband, son, daughter, and cats.

Erin Kraan is a children's book illustrator, woodcutter and printmaker. She loves the process of carving her characters into wood and seeing how their quirky and whimsical identities come to through the ink in the prints. Erin usually walked with her siblings to get to school wearing her favorite pair of red sneakers. She made it on time before the bell rang...most days...

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781984813022
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication date
January 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV039200 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Manners & Etiquette
Library of Congress categories
Individuality
Hugging
Texas 2x2 Reading List
Selection 2022
ALSC Notable Children's Book
Selection 2022

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