The Hug

by Eoin McLaughlin, Polly Dunbar (Illustrator)

Overview

A beautiful, heartwarming picture book with all the universal appeal of Guess How Much I Love You.

Hedgehog was feeling sad.
As sad as a hedgehog can feel.
So sad only one thing could help . . .

Tortoise was feeling sad.
As sad as a tortoise can feel.
So sad only one thing could help . . .

In this clever flipbook, both a hedgehog and a tortoise are looking for a hug. They ask all the other animals they come across but for some reason no one will hug them. Until a wise owl explains: Hedgehog is too spiky; Tortoise is too bony.

And that's when they find each other!

'Feels like being enveloped in your very own hug.' Kirkus

'A smashing story time tale.' Books for Keeps

'It's utterly lovely. It makes her face light up every time she hears it.' The Guardian Best Books of 2019

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780571348756
Publisher:	Faber and Faber
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Series:	Hedgehog & Friends
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Eoin McLaughlin was born in Ireland, moved to the UK and now lives in London with his wife and their new baby. Along the way he has written several books and is unbearably excited for them to come out. This is his debut picture book, with many more in the pipeline.
Polly Dunbar is one of the most well known illustrators working today. Polly's bestselling book, Penguin, has won numerous awards and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Polly is the illustrator of Shoe Baby, Pat-a-Cake Baby and two picture books written by David Almond. Polly lives in the Waveny Valley, Suffolk with her partner and their two boys.

Read an Excerpt

Hedgehog was feeling sad.
As sad as a hedgehog can feel.
So sad only one thing could help...
Tortoise was feeling sad.
As sad as a tortoise can feel.
So sad only one thing could help...

Editorial Reviews

01/31/2019

Open this double-sided book one way and meet sad and very cute Tortoise, whose polite request for a restorative hug is met with equally polite but clearly cooked-up excuses from other animals (“Unfortunately, I’m digging a very important hole,” says Rabbit, who isn’t). “It’s your shell,” Owl explains. “It’s just so very hard. But don’t worry, there’s someone for everyone.” Flip the book over, and it’s the same trajectory for sad and adorable Hedgehog, whose quills are the deal-breaker. Tortoise and Hedgehog retreat from the world into tight little spheres of shell and prickles, respectively, until they notice each other. In a vertically oriented spread that serves as a visual center between the two versions, they embrace without any qualms at all, “as happy as two someones can be.” Debut author McLaughlin doesn’t break new ground in this story of two lonely animals finding comfort and friendship, but he and Dunbar (A Lion Is a Lion) bring a good measure of wit to the story. Dunbar’s animal portraits, drawn along a single, cream-colored plane with minimal background detailing, are funny and astute, suggesting that animals can be every bit as awkward and endearing as humans. Ages 3–up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Watching unlikely friends finally be as 'happy as two someones can be' feels like being enveloped in your very own hug."—Kirkus

"A tender story that carries the message of embracing one's perceived shortcomings, best to be shared with early elementary students and the very young.” -School Library Journal

“Sometimes all you need is a little TLC, but that’s easier said than done for a prickly-backed hedgehog and a hard-shelled tortoise. With adorable arms outstretched, the two embark from opposite sides of this innovative flip book as they encounter a parade of alarmed forest animals intent on declining their offers to embrace with one hilarious excuse after another—until Tortoise and Hedgehog meet in the middle, proving that there really is someone out there for everyone.” — Foreword Reviews

“Such a simple little book, this offers a great amount of pleasure when the two animals find one another ... Perfect for when you need a hug, even if you are a bit prickly or too hard.” — Waking Brain Cell

"A perfectly charming picture book … a delightful read-aloud selection.” — All About the Books with Janet Squires

“I love the story and the adorable artwork. An especially good read for anyone who has had trouble finding a friend but potentially eye-opening for those who easily reject others.” — Susan Uhlig, So Many Good Books

“ A sweet story that reminds readers that there’s always someone out there to hug, no matter how prickly or how tough you may think you’re feeling.” — Rosemary Kidlatis, Queens Public Library librarian and reviewer at MomReadIt

“The Hug is simple and sweet and deeply satisfying.” — Tanya Turkek, Books4YourKids

“Read from one side then flip it and read from the other side. You end up in the same spot and it is all adorable. You see, tortoise and hedgehog both just want a hug and are turned down by all the other animals until they find each other in the center of the book… It’s a creative concept that will keep what is a short picture book in the toddler rotation much longer.” — WindyCityReader

“A beautiful quiet book, perfect bedtime, that children will want to read again and again.”— Rebecca Herzog, SlothReads

From the Publisher

06/28/2019

PreS-Gr 1-This book contains dual narratives, presented by flipping the book over, so that the stories intersect and come to a joyful conclusion in the middle. One story line follows Hedgehog, who is feeling sad and knows that only a hug will help. Hedgehog asks Fox, Squirrel, and Magpie for a hug, but each creature makes an excuse for why they cannot help out. Owl explains that Hedgehog is prickly, but says that there is "someone for everyone." Likewise, using the same repetitive text, Tortoise encounters Badger, Rabbit, and Frog. Owl explains that Tortoise's shell is very hard, but when Tortoise and Hedgehog meet, they discover that their hugs are perfect for one another. The illustrations are whimsical, depicting unique and expressive animal characters with humorous flourishes. The illustrations also convey that each of the animals has their own imperfections. Fox scatters garbage everywhere, Magpie has an unpleasant singing voice, and Badger is a very messy eater. These details help to underpin the message that while every hug is not for everyone, it takes all sorts to make a world. VERDICT A tender story that carries the message of embracing one's perceived shortcomings, best to be shared with early elementary students and the very young.-Kelly Topita, Anne Arundel County Public Library, MD

School Library Journal

2019-01-15

What to do when you're a prickly animal hankering for a hug? Why, find another misfit animal also searching for an embrace!

Sweet but "tricky to hug" little Hedgehog is down in the dumps. Wandering the forest, Hedgehog begs different animals for hugs, but each rejects them. Readers will giggle at their panicked excuses—an evasive squirrel must suddenly count its three measly acorns; a magpie begins a drawn-out song—but will also be indignant on poor hedgehog's behalf. Hedgehog has the appealingly pink-cheeked softness typical of Dunbar's art, and the gentle watercolors are nonthreatening, though she also captures the animals' genuine concern about being poked. A wise owl counsels the dejected hedgehog that while the prickles may frighten some, "there's someone for everyone." That's when Hedgehog spots a similarly lonely tortoise, rejected due to its "very hard" shell but perfectly matched for a spiky new friend. They race toward each other until the glorious meeting, marked with swoony peach swirls and overjoyed grins. At this point, readers flip the book to hear the same gloomy tale from the tortoise's perspective until it again culminates in that joyous hug, a book turn that's made a pleasure with thick creamy paper and solid binding.

Watching unlikely friends finally be as "happy as two someones can be" feels like being enveloped in your very own hug. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews