Don't Hug Doug: (He Doesn't Like It)

by Carrie Finison, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Doug, an ordinary kid who doesn't like hugs, in this fun and exuberant story which aims to spark discussions about bodily autonomy and consent—from author Carrie Finison and the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People, Daniel Wiseman.

Doug doesn't like hugs. He thinks hugs are too squeezy, too squashy, too squooshy, too smooshy. He doesn't like hello hugs or goodbye hugs, game-winning home run hugs or dropped ice cream cone hugs, and he definitely doesn't like birthday hugs. He'd much rather give a high five—or a low five, a side five, a double five, or a spinny five. Yup, some people love hugs; other people don't. So how can you tell if someone likes hugs or not? There's only one way to find out: Ask! Because everybody gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781984813022
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	31,270
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Carrie Finison writes poetry, stories, and books for kids. She is the author of the picture book Dozens of Doughnuts, illustrated by Brianne Farley. She lives outside Boston with her husband, their son, and their daughter, and two cats who allow her to work in their attic office. Visit the author at carriefinison.com and follow her on Twitter @CarrieFinison.

Daniel Wiseman is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart. He has illustrated many books for kids, including Goodbye Brings Hello by Dianne White, Play This Book by Jessica Young, When Your Lion Needs a Bath by Susanna Leonard Hill, and the Baby Scientist series by Laura Gehl. He lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee. Learn more at danieldraws.com or follow the artist on Instagram @d_wiseman.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/15/2021

This upbeat, second person–perspective narrative introduces readers to Doug, a smiling child with dark hair, light brown skin, and round red glasses, who does not like hugs—the lone exception being a “JUST RIGHT/ bedtime hug /from his mom.” In rapid-fire parallel sentences, characters suggest situations in which Doug might like a hug (“hello hugs,” “goodbye hugs,” “game-winning home run hugs,” and “dropped ice cream cone hugs” round out one paneled page) before Doug shuts each of them down firmly with a friendly smile and a negatory response. “Don’t worry—Doug likes YOU,” Finison’s assured text declares. “He just doesn’t like HUGS.” Wiseman’s digital art has a simple, bold allure, supplemented by panels and speech bubbles. A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact. Ages 3–7. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Don't Hug Doug:

A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

“A simple but effective lesson for children learning their own personal boundaries.” —TODAY

“Don’t Hug Doug can make kids feel better about their own boundaries, and challenge them to understand the comfort of others. But really, it gives grown-ups something to consider, too.” —Boston Globe

“It’s great to see . . . boundaries [of consent and personal autonomy] talked about, and Don’t Hug Doug does it in a way that’s both reinforcing and fun to read.” —The A.V. Club

* “A cheerful approach to basic consent . . . An excellent update on the golden rule: treat people how they want to be treated.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Simple and effective in showing young viewers how to establish bodily autonomy . . . A great starting point for a conversation about boundaries and how to set them.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A fun way to deliver the truth of different strokes for different folks.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 2020-09-29
A cheerful approach to basic consent.

In rollicking text readers learn that Doug, a brown-skinned child with red glasses, “likes to sort his rock collection, and try on his sock collection, and draw with his chalk collection.” He often has a smile on his face and “just doesn’t like hugs.” “Doug likes YOU,” the book assures readers, explaining that Doug only likes good-night hugs, from his mom. The next page points to people of various ages and racial presentations and poses a question: “Can you hug these people? There’s only one way to find out.” “ASK!” Doug rejoins. Readers learn that “Some people love hugs. Lots of people don’t. And lots of people are somewhere in the middle.” A collage of purple, green, and blue people (and one porcupine), one in hijab and the others with racially differentiated hair, share their preferences around physical affection. The story ends with Doug racing around high-fiving a diverse group of humans and nonhumans. Especially important is that Doug never gives a reason why he doesn’t like hugs—he just doesn’t, and the reason why doesn’t matter, because he gets to make that decision for himself. Even though it doesn’t have—or really need—a plot, this book will still be fun to read aloud or explore independently. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.5-by-19-inch double-page spreads viewed at 8.3% of actual size.)

An excellent update on the golden rule: treat people how they want to be treated. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews