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Reviewed by:
  • Big Hugs, Little Hugs
  • Jeannette Hulick
Bond, Felicia . Big Hugs, Little Hugs; written and illus. by Felicia Bond. Philomel, 2012. [32p]. ISBN 978-0-399-25614-1 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad 2-4 yrs.

"Everyone hugs all over the world," begins this ode to the parent/child embrace, using an assortment of animals to illustrate that point. Bond begins by specifying various animals ("Cats hug/ Dogs hug"), then switches gears to focus on oppositional locales ("On this side/ And that side"), hug size (big vs. little), and time periods ("Winter/ Summer"). Strict literalists may protest at the very human way in which these animals snuggle with each other (or at their unnaturally colored or patterned bodies), and the textual shifts in foci are somewhat abrupt. Stylistically, though the [End Page 294] text itself is satisfyingly straightforward and age-appropriate in its scope, and the range of concepts is useful. Bond departs from her If You Give a Mouse a Cookie style here, using a bolder and more minimalistic approach, combining cut-paper collage with ink and watercolor. Patterned or textured paper also provides visual interest, to varying degrees of effectiveness; particularly well done is the double-page spread depicting two elephants and two ants hugging, in which a fibrous tan paper fills in marvelously for wrinkled elephant skin. Although van Genechten's The Cuddle Book (BCCB 1/05) is a stronger title on this theme, this will still be an easy fit into baby laptimes and toddler storytimes, as well as a snuggle-session-prompting bedtime read.

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