While the venue has changed from smooches to hugs, Ryder and Sweet remain faithful to the popular format of their earlier title, Won’t You Be My Kissaroo? (2004) Playful rhymes describe the myriad hugs to be savored as a young zebra spends the day at an amusement park with friends. From ebullient tickle hugs to consoling cheer-up hugs, Ryder celebrates the widespread uses of an action that is second nature to care-givers yet so vitally important to a child. The sprightly rhymes move readers along at a brisk pace but not before they tug at the heartstrings with their touching sentiments. Sweet’s watercolor, pencil and collage illustrations are indeed sweet. Vivid colors capture the vibrancy of a summer’s outing on a glorious day, while her deft pencil sketches convey the less tangible yet equally joyous feeling of spending a day with loved ones. A celebration of all things lovable, Ryder’s tale is bound to strike a chord with fans and newcomers across the generations. (Picture book. 2-5)
