A Book of Hugs: A Lovely Book about Hugs for Kids (ages 0-4)―Perfect for Valentine's Day

by Dave Ross, Laura Rader (Illustrator)

There are all kinds of hugs.
Porcupine hugs are done very carefully.
Knee hugs are good for hugging someone tall.
And piggyback hugs are the best way to see a parade.
From birthday hugs to Great-Aunt Mary hugs, every hug has a purpose even a lamppost hug.
You should never hug tomorrow when you can hug today.
But which hug will you choose?
Puppy hugs Fraidycat hugs  Birthday hugs I love-you-hugs In this delightfully cuddly book, Dave Ross and Laura Rader team up to give us a warm and friendly look at some of the best kinds of hugs around. An Alternate Selection of Childrens Book-of-the-Month Club.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Cultural, Animals, Fiction, School

30 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Dave Ross is an artist, author and educator whose every career move has involved kids. First published in 1975, his bibliography includes 39 titles. Dave's most recent book, T'Bugs, is a science fiction chapter book for young readers. [Tom Lemery is co-author]. It was released in 2017.
In 1981, Dave and his wife Kathleen founded Helping Hands School in Clifton Park, NY. They ran this preschool for special needs children for 30 years, retiring in 2010. The school is still open and serves hundreds of children and their families in Saratoga County.

Reviews

[Eileen Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks about all the many types of hugs there are in the world and how they look and feel. Some are silly, some are serious. This is a great book to use to talk about feelings, families and how to hug and receive hugs appropriately. The illustrations are colorful and keep the children's attention.

[Julianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

We really enjoyed reading this book about hugs. There are so many different hugs. This book made learning about hugs fun.

[Bryce Akey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Book of Hugs" was a good children's book. It is about all kinds of hugs. For example, there are octopus hugs, which are which are hugs given with your whole body. Fish hugs are very cold, and are never returned. Porcupine hugs have to be done very carefully. This book lists many other types of hugs and how they are given.

There is not a main character in this story. The story is about all sorts of animals that give different types of hugs.

The setting setting is not specific. Each hug is located in a different location. These locations range from the the desert to the ocean.

I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to any parent to read to their kids. If I had children, I would definitely read this book to them.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was creative and informative about different types of hugs. For example, huddle hugs, sandwich hugs, and piggy-back hugs. A cute, feel good book.

The parents and grandparents were stereotyped - mom stays home, dad works, grandpa sits in his chair while grandma does all of the unpaid work…and penguin hugs???

I would like the book to have a page suggesting that you only give hugs when you want to. (Too many creepy people tried to hug me when I was a child.)

[Janice Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comical book about hugs - all kinds of hugs that one can give or receive. My three year old grandson had fun looking at the colorful and cute illustrations of the characters giving and receiving hugs.

It would make a good learning tool for classrooms about children and how they should behave.

I was given a copy of this but and chose to review it.

[Twos Bothell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has cute illustrations and a great premise. However, as a read aloud book for twos, it's much too wordy and not at their humor level. Perhaps it's the way I read it? But they were not as interested as I thought they would be. And they love giving hugs!

[Eliza Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book from my childhood that still gives me that warm happy feeling inside. Not to mention sweet and silly illustrations!

[Marisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too long for storytime
Novelist: Pre-Kindergarten - 2
Amazon: 3 - 8 years

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A board book about different types of hugs. It's cute but a bit too long.

[Little Champs]

BB 164

[Rayjan Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute little book for kids with some word definitions, and samples of different kinds of hugs with cute little tidbits added in.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute boardbook that can be useful to talk about feelings, touching, etc.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and funny for kids and adults!

[Skylis]

cute, sometimes silly book about all the kinds of hugs there are. very cisheteronornative, but otherwise enjoyable.

[Rochelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Creative and endearing concept for a picture book. Would have benefitted, I think, from the inclusion of more polished illustrations.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Makes a LOT of gendered assumptions.

[Kaylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book all about the different kind of hugs that there are in the world. In my practicum class, this book was used as part of the Valentine's Day display and the students enjoyed reading it.

[Sabrina Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about various adorable animals giving and receiving all types of hugs. This book is calming and can be used as a simple book to teach young children about the gift of hugs. It also shows aspects of different family members and the love the express for each other using hugs.
There are some simple and cheerful vocabulary words to peek children's interests. The illustrations are simple and beautiful as well.

[Courtney Gayle]

Hugs!! I struggled with placing this in the information column or int he multicultural column just because of all the information that this book gives about hugs. I think that this book would be great to use inside of the classroom when examining other cultures and the way they greet one another. This book is a great way to keep students engaged because its interesting information that I found was fun to discover myself.

[Chelsea Bucci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talks about all different hugs from different animals. Ex: "Fish hugs are very cold and seldom returned" as well as a circle of a hugs is a huddle. "I Love you Hugs are the best!" The book describes different hugs that you can give. It is good to read around Valentine's Day. Promotes friendship.

[Joseph Saborio · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wee bit sexist: "Daddy hugs are best when he first walks in the door." "Grandpa hugs are sometimes given while sitting." "Grandma hugs can be found anywhere, but are especially nice in the kitchen."

[Bvlmc Buchanan Verplanck Elementary School · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story for sharing hugs with your toddler or young child as the book illustrates all the different types of hugs you can give and receive: baby hugs, tree hugs, parent hugs, grandparent hugs, sibling hugs, blanket hugs, etc.

[Keleigh]

I liked this book because at the very beginning it gives definitions of variations of the word hug. It also defines different types of hugs throughout the whole book that can be given to different people and what type of hug that is.

[Megababy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not impressed with this book. it was too long and boring and the pictures were not bright enough. I started crying halfway through to let mommy know and tried to push the book away but she made me finish it anyway.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute book for children.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my gift to Calvin, the best hugger ever, on his first Valentine's Day. It is creative and the boys have loved it for a long time.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my ultimate childhood favorites, an explanation of hugs of every category.

[Little Miss and the Legomeister · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is in black and white.

It shows and names different types of hugs. Mildly cute and funny. Little Miss, who is passionately affectionate, loved to read a book all about hugs.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for a cute concept mostly well-executed, but with troubling, sexist messages throughout (Grandma's in the kitchen, of course, while Daddy comes home from work with his toolbox!). Oy.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute and good for children of all ages.