Hiding: A Story About Finding Quiet in a Busy World

by Kate Pugsley, Kate Pugsley (Illustrator)

Overview

A little girl explores the many ways and occasions of hiding—inside and outside, with friends and with pets and toys, for fun and for security—in this captivating and comforting picture book. Hiding gets right to the heart of what makes children so love to hide!

“I am very good at hiding.
I hide when it’s too noisy.
I hide when it’s too quiet.
Some days I just want to hide by myself.”

As she explores the world, a little girl finds that she can hide wherever she looks. From leaf piles to laundry baskets, these places make her feel safe and secure in a busy world. But the best part about hiding? It’s being found!
With fresh and colorful artwork, Kate Pugsley captures the many ways children feel about hiding with sensitivity, humor, and most of all, love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593206812
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/09/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.31(w) x 10.31(h) x 0.34(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

KATE PUGSLEY is an illustrator and painter focused on making images for children. She uses traditional materials, mostly painting with gouache on smooth watercolor paper to create her illustrations. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she received a BFA in illustration. She and her husband recently moved to Portland, Oregon and are expecting their first child.

Editorial Reviews

06/02/2023

PreS-Gr 2—Sometimes the world is too noisy. Sometimes it's too quiet. And sometimes it's just comforting to be alone. A little girl is good at hiding, in a laundry basket, in a tree, under a pile of leaves, or behind a book. In this gentle story, with soft gouache and pencil illustrations a small child finds that hiding is fun and transformative. The very simple text of only a few words per page explains her reasons for hiding. In a joy-filled conclusion, she announces that the best part of hiding is being found. Very young children will enjoy sharing the child's small adventures. VERDICT Young readers will greatly enjoy finding this child in the colorful illustrations. Highly recommended for early childhood read-alouds.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken

School Library Journal

2023-02-25
A child often feels the need to hide.

The protagonist, who has black hair and tan skin, knows how to hide in all situations—indoors or out, daytime or nighttime, alone or with friends (for a surprise party). On Halloween, the child dons a witch costume and conceals themself in plain sight. When summer fireworks are too noisy, the child hides inside, peeking out through a window. When a new visitor arrives and the child feels shy, they blend in with the wallpaper. In the “too quiet” library, the child holds a book over their face, hiding from fellow readers. But there are also times when it’s fun to hide—like in the laundry basket or in a pile of leaves. And, in a giggle-inducing finale, we learn that the best thing about hiding is being found! The young narrator speaks in simple, accessible sentences, briefly setting the scenes and expressing the joys of hiding. Though the text is spare, Pugsley depicts a protagonist who contains multitudes—this child is by turns timid, playful, uncertain, and meditative. Blocky, unlined gouache and colored pencil illustrations bring to life the narrator’s hiding techniques in delightful detail. Young readers will have a wonderful time finding the little one on each spread. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Presents a gentle message with tenderness and humor. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews