bookshelf

SAME LOVE, DIFFERENT HUG

Name: SAME LOVE, DIFFERENT HUG
Author: Sarah Hovorka
ISBN: 9780358712817

by Sarah Hovorka ; illustrated by Abbey Bryant ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2023

Will show readers that their options for expressing affection are many.

bookshelf

What kind of a hugger are you—“rough, tough never enough” or “gentle, slow don’t-let-go”?

Although Hovorka’s children found it hard to give her hugs for fear of hurting her due to her disability, they soon discovered that there were many different ways to hug—a realization that led to this book. Readers may already be familiar with bear hugs, but what about “don’t-look-back sneak-attack” hugs or a “big-grin around-we-spin” hug, shared in an accompanying illustration by a child and an adult wheelchair user twirling around together? Sometimes it’s best to save a hug for later, send a “stay-in-place need-my-space wave,” or create a secret handshake instead. Group hugs can be the cure for a day when “sadness swells to the brim,” and celebration days usually require a “skip, prance happy-dance HUG!” The brief, fun rhymes and creative names for the hug variations make reading aloud fun for storytellers and listeners alike. By turns soothing and action-packed, earth-toned cartoon illustrations capture a wide range of situations, from quiet, loving support when someone is sick or in need of alone time to the playful exuberance of big celebrations. Depicting a diverse group of people modeling many versions of loving behavior, these images are ideal for young readers exploring social-emotional skills and learning to respect others’ personal boundaries and preferences. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will show readers that their options for expressing affection are many. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: June 13, 2023

ISBN: 9780358712817

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

bookshelf

LITTLE BLUE TRUCK LOST AND FOUND

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2026

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed.

bookshelf

Beep! Beep! Beep! Toad and Little Blue Truck get ready for a hayride.

After the titular vehicle is loaded with hay, Toad is nowhere to be found. “Beep! Beep! Beep! Where are you, Toad?” asks Little Blue Truck. All the barnyard animals look for him. Sheep searches the meadow. Goose and Duck check the pond. Others pitch in, too, but Toad seems to have disappeared…until Hen hears snoring coming from the pile of hay in the back of Little Blue Truck. Although the text’s scansion is imperfect in places (adults may want to pre-read to ensure a smooth read-aloud), the bouncy meter and rhyming text nevertheless capture the energy of the search and the farmyard community’s concern for Toad’s safety, making this a solid storytime choice. Eye-catching illustrations with rich, fully saturated colors balance the right level of detail while still highlighting the animal that is the focus of each verse. By introducing one farm animal at a time, Schertle also helps the youngest readers begin to identify barnyard animals by name and understand their unique farm homes. Traditional animal sounds are part of the text, and listeners will add them to their vocabulary. It all ends with the promised hayride, bringing the tale to a joyous ending.

Fun times, fond friends, and a festive farmyard setting—little ones will be charmed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

ISBN: 9780063436121

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

bookshelf

ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

bookshelf

Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)