Hugs and Kisses

by Christophe Loupy, Eve Tharlet (Illustrator)

An irresistibly appealing puppy named Hugs sets out one morning on a quest. He asks every animal he meets for a kiss, and they are all happy to oblige. The pup discovers that duck's kisses are hard and wet; a horse's kiss is a little sticky, but very warm; the pig's kiss is a little muddy and bristly, tickley but tender. He collects lots of wonderful kisses, but when he returns home, he discovers that the best kiss of all is the one he gets from his loving mother.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Dogs, Childrens, Fiction, Family, Love

36 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, North South Books Inc., for the advance reading copy.

I love how cute the story is! A little pup goes out to demand kisses from other animals he meets on the way.

I find the illustrations amazing!

I feel hugs would be far better rather than kisses though 🙃

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom's Hugs and Kisses is a reissue of Hugs & Kisses by Christophe Loupy originally published in 2001. With updated illustrations by Eve Tharlet, this is an adorable book. Hugs, a puppy, wakes up early and heads out on the farm. He approaches several animals on his tour and asks them if they would give him a kiss. He meets ducks, a horse, a pig and more. He discovers that each kiss feels a bit different, but still wonderful. He heads home to find his family waiting for him worried about where he had gone. He gets a kiss from his mother, and realizes that his mother's kiss is the best kiss of all. This is a sweet story, simple in it's telling, but with a message. I think first is diversity. It is not obvious, but each animal is different and yet, Hugs treated them all the same. Of course love from your parents is always the best and Hugs loves his mommas kisses. My only issue and it is just a niggle, is that I don't want to encourage my grandchildren to run around asking for kisses from strangers. The illustrations were wonderful. They were large and colourful and the animals were so adorable. Overall, a good book for families, one to stress the love between families.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this was so sweet. The story and the illustrations alike. The book reads so well for young children and when you get to the illustrations where the puppy is getting a kiss it makes you all warm inside. This book is like a warm hug.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing quite like the love a mom has for their baby.
Whether it’s a dove, an elephant, a lioness, a dog, or even a human.

Reading this one with my daughter made me tear up because of how special her hugs and kisses are TO ME!

I hope and pray she feels the same way.

[Taylor Justins 🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my then 1 1/2 year old and we absolutely adored it! I was even tearing up by the end of it. This book is a sweet one, and it shows that everyone has their own way of expressing their love. This was a nightly read for us, and I’m hoping I can get a physical copy soon!

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any human, especially 18+. Butterfly kisses still hit.

[June Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Publication March 14, 2023

Ahh, sweet. That's a term I find myself overusing for some children's books but, well, it's true. I even gave my own dog a kiss on the nose after finishing. With simple, soft colored illustrations and a cute story of a puppy named Hugs' goal of discovering who gives the best kisses, it's a story one can envision being read in households worldwide with both adults and children cooing over the drawings as they are shared. Nothing fancy about the story, of course, as Hugs visits several different critters and asks for a kiss. Upon his return home, Hugs discovers, no surprise, that his mama's kisses are the best. A charming, simple tale that emphasizes the love of family. Thanks to #NetGalley and #NorthSouthBooks for sharing this sweet, ahh moment with me. Hugs for Hugs!

[Katherine Schauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is a cute little story about a puppy that goes on a mission to find out what different animals kisses are like. He asks for and receives kisses from several different animals on the farm. Each kiss is different, but good in some way. Then he gets home to get the best kiss of all from his mom.

The storytelling in this was very repetitive, making it a good book for a budding reader. It's not See Spot Run levels of repetition, but the repetition is there to build confidence.

The illustrations were soft and flowy feeling. They kind of reminded me of kids' books from my childhood, like the Little Golden Books illustrations. I'd be okay rereading this book a few times, but I wouldn't want to do it too often.

Overall I give this book 3.9 out of 5 stars.

[Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugs and Kisses tells the tale of a puppy named Hugs. He awakes one morning and decides to head out on a very important mission. The investigative pup begins to collect kisses from all of the animals around the farm.

The animals are happy to help but cannot stop wondering what Hugs is up to. Will Hugs be able to complete his secret mission?

I found this story to be a delightful read. Children ages 3 through 9 will fall in love with Hugs and the rest of the farm animals. I loved the overall theme of the book as well.

Eve Tharlet's illustrations are gorgeous. Her use of pastels is truly remarkable. Each character is more beautiful than the last.

Overall, this is a wonderful read for the emergent reader.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sweet picture book tells the story of a puppy who goes on a mission to find out what different animals kisses are like. As he meets other animals around the farm he realizes that all kisses are different and special in some way but the best kisses come from his mom. The repetitive structure of the text will be helpful for younger readers, and the illustrations help tell the story. I'd say this is a nice bedtime story to share with a younger child to remind them about the attachment and love that comes with the safe adults in their life. I would recommend this book for families of children in the age 1-5 range. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc. for a copy of "Mom's Hugs and Kisses" in exchange for my honest review.

The cute little puppy wakes up early because he wants to find out who gives the best hugs and kisses. He finds that the duck gives a hard and wet kiss that is refreshing. The horse gives a damp and sticky kiss that is warm. The pig gives a muddy and scratchy kiss that is tender. The rabbit gives a wiggly and quick kiss that is soft. A butterfly gives him a tickly kiss that is wonderful. After all this the puppy learns that the best kiss is from his mom.

[K T · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute book about a little puppy going out an an adventure by himself to get kisses from all the different animals he comes across - a horse, pig, butterfly & more.

When he finally gets home to his worried family, he realizes his Mom's kisses are the best of all.

Cute & fun, a wonderful Mother's Day gift, or for new Mothers.

(I was able to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.)

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying how ABSOLUTELY AWESOMELY BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL the drawings in this book are!
If you have a kid who loves dogs (and animals in general), get them this book just because of the beautiful drawings, and the story is an enjoyable one as a bonus, but the drawings are so, so, so extraordinarily beautiful!
This is a warm and affectionate story of a little puppy exploring the world and finding out what love is.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
A small puppy, Hugs, wakes up early. He uses the time to talk to the different animals around the farm. From each animal he meets, he asks for a kiss. Once he returns to his mom he tells his mom about the different kisses and why hers was the best.
This was a cute book. The illustrations were sweet and show the different kisses. This is a good book for young readers.

[Megan Bey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute, fun book for kids to teach them everyone expresses love in their own special way. I understand other reviews concern over the premise of the story, but it doesn’t bother me. The repeated phrase of “I’m finding out something” was a different choice, I kept wanting to read “I’m finding something out”. I look forward to reading this with my son. The illustrations in this book are, AMAZING.

Thank you NetGalley and North South Books for this ARC.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hugs the puppy woke up early and went around the farm to find the answer to something that was on his mind. As he met different farms animals he asked them each for a kiss. On his return to his mother, she asked where he had been, and with a snuggle and a kiss, he explained what he went to find out.

[Evan Teter]

This book is about Hugs the puppy dog and his quest to "find something out". He goes all around and asks different animals for a kiss. Once he gets back home, he also asks his mother for a kiss, and he finds out, after all of his experiments, there is no kiss like the one from his mother. I would recommend this book for younger grades.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this adorable book up for storytime without thinking twice... maybe this isn't great for Covid-reading, but it sure can be funny. The illustrations were great, but I'm probably not picking it up for a group storytime again. I WOULD definitely recommend it to a mom for storytime before bed though. For that, it would be perfect.

[Hypatia's Dream · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanta ternura de Abrazos, nombre con que el autor designó al protagonista canino de este lindo cuento y que con una gran curiosidad fue a explorar la calidad de los besos de otros animalitos con los que compartía territorio para al final darse cuenta que nada es comparado con el afectuoso beso de su madre, muy lindo y las ilustraciones geniales.

[Claire Sylvestre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story and such cute illustrations! MOM’S HUGS AND KISSES by Christophe Loupy, illustrated by Eve Tharlet. It tells the story of a puppy who leaves home early one morning and asks everyone he meets for a kiss. Very touching story. Quick read. Children will love it!

Thank you NetGalley and North South Books for this ARC.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute touch and feel board book that I had fun reading with a little girl waiting for her mom during an event I was helping at over the weekend. I loved that this pup's name was Hugs and that he loved getting kisses :)

[Lil Old Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Spanish book about a puppy named abrazos who is looking for kisses, only to discover that mama has the best kisses of all. Very cute illustrations and my one year old enjoyed all the interactive touches in the book.

[Heather T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, Hugs is an adorable name for a puppy! And the premise of the book is sweet. Who wouldn't want to give Hugs a kiss? The touch textures leave a bit to be desired, but then, our copy is very old and well-used.

- Heather's mom, 7/6/2021

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tender and heartwarming read about a little puppy who sets out on a kissing quest one day. I loved the illustrations, especially those of Hugs receiving kisses. Cute story and perfect for reading with kids!

Thank you to NorthSouth Books for the Netgalley ARC.

[Alex Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing quite like the love a mom has for their baby. Whether it’s a dove, an elephant, a lioness, a dog, or even a human.
Reading this one with my daughter made me tear up because of how special her hugs and kisses are TO ME! I hope and pray she feels the same way.

[Sara Rankin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t really like this one. The pictures are cute but the trying all sorts of kisses worries me if a kid copies. I also didn’t love the choice of kiss on neck and mouth.
The pictures are cute but will donate this one.

[Jessica Starzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought its book had a beautiful story. I think that there is nothing more comforting that a hug and kiss from loved ones. No other person can replace a mothers love for her children. I can’t wait to experience that myself.

Genre: modern fantasy
Grades: k-2

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, too wordy for storytime

[Jayda Safford · Rating 5 out of 5]

xoxo

[Magdalena Chavez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very cute. It is a good story to read to the class and discuss repetition.