Felix and Mama have some very special hugs they share: soft snuggles, super squeezes and monster mashes. But after Mama takes away his baseball (he threw it in the house), Felix declares that he won’t be giving any more hugs until Saturday. He defiantly sticks to this rule even after a tumble, but his resolve weakens: After a peek at the calendar, Felix revises his rule to Friday instead. As missed opportunities for hugs accumulate throughout the day, Felix continues to bring his deadline closer and closer until he finally relents at bedtime and makes up for all the missed cuddles. Downing’s delightful watercolor dragons are wonderfully expressive and have oodles of personality, and she fills her scenes with details that readers are sure to identify with. A sweet tale of mother-and-son love, with a lesson on days of the week thrown in for good measure. Grown-up readers will just have to hope that their own little ones don’t get any ideas. (Picture book. 3-6)
