When mom wants a hug from her primary-schooler son, Jake, he rolls his eyes. “Everyone will think I’m a baby.” Later, when it’s HE who needs a hug, mom explains that since he didn’t want hers, she gave it to Dad, who gave it to the cat, who gave it to a witch, etc., until the coveted hug was given to a gigantic red dragon, from whom Jake must retrieve it. At bedtime, mom asks for a hug once again, but after having gone to such lengths to recover one, Jake is reluctant to let it go. Mom solves this quandary by giving Jake an extra hug, which he returns with sweet affection. Hellard’s watercolor-and-pen pictures spread to fill pages with expanding make-believe action, and children will enjoy spotting the playthings—Jake’s storybook wizard and toy knight, for example—that become part of the larger story. With its opportunity to chant the refrain “Where’s my hug?,” Mayhew’s text will work equally well in group settings or up close for one-on-one reading. Pair this with Else Holmelund Minarik’s A Kiss for Little Bear for a hugs-and-kisses storytime. (Picture book. 2-7)
