Can I Give You a Squish?; by Emily Neilson (review)

Kai is an enthusiastic young mer-kid who loves to hug (or, as he calls it, “squish”) his mermaid mother and all his friends. When he happens on a puffer fish, he wants to give the puffy critter a big squish, but the fish puffs its spines out in defense (“I do not like to be squished”). A startled Kai realizes that the squishes he loves aren’t everybody’s cup of saltwater tea, and he and his friends diversify into fin bumps, tail claps, and even a little claw pinch from the crab, allowing the puffer fish to enjoy a non-squishy greeting. The text is playful yet clear as it makes an important point that can be hard for preschoolers (or, for that matter, adults) to grasp, and the triumphant realization that “every fish likes their own kind of squish!” has high potential as a long-lasting and repeatable reminder. Digital art in soft, painterly strokes is blandly sweet, though, and the figures lean too heavily on the cutesy, with the animals broadly cartoonish and toylike and saccharinely cheerful. Nonetheless, they’re optimistic company, and the book’s upbeat delivery of a helpful message will likely make it useful.