The Catalogue of Hugs

The father and son authors of this picture book survey hug types gentle, rambunctious, and in-between, humorously detailing variations of the embrace for an array of situations. In each spread, the name of a particular hug style appears alongside one of Lilly's wispy, sketch-lined images of adults and children demonstrating the interaction. Using ample white space, blocks of color pop in the depictions of people with a range of abilities and skin tones wearing brightly accented clothing or accessories. Hug type "the Frontpack" accompanies an image of an adult who uses a prosthetic leg holding a child to their front; "the Flying Squirrel" envisages a collision about to occur; and "the Necklace" attends an image of a child hanging from an adult's neck. A final spread invites readers to experiment with a bonus list of hug styles, including "the Hot Cocoa," "the Tuba" and "the Puppy Hug." Ages 2-5. (Dec.)

PreS-Gr 2--Who needs a hug? Everyone does, as this brief but delightful book explains. People of every skin tone, body size, age, and physical ability are shown embracing in all the variations that seem humanly possible, only the authors give outrageously funny names to these positions. The "koala" shows the child hanging on an adult's leg; the "flying squirrel" is executed by leaping from a bed. A child with arms wrapped around a grandpa's neck demonstrates the "necklace," while another perched on the arm of a parent's wheelchair shows us the "rolling hug." "Classic," "frontpack," "backpack," and "blindfold," are among the many variations, along with the "tantrum" hug and the "work at home" hug. At the end, there's even a compilation of additional positions for those wishing to experiment with showing affection in new ways. Colorful artwork conveys energy and joy in this very clever concept book. VERDICT Perhaps even more important in a world reeling from a pandemic, this is a not-to-miss addition for all collections.--Gloria Koster