Preschool and kindergarten children will be charmed by this rhythmically calming and poetic tale told by a girl exploring the natural world with her father. Along the way, she points out many ways in which nature offers hugs that mirror ours. Eggs in a nest, for instance, "hold hatchlings warm and snug," just as "your hug is for holding me."
In books for this age group, in which words are spare, pictures share the heart of the storytelling. Award-winning illustrator Lisk Feng's pictures do not disappoint. She depicts nature as abundant yet serene and welcoming, just like the best hugs. Her father and daughter duo remain always close to each other but in a splendid array of ways: one moment with their faces side by side watching in delight as an egg hatches, another as she places a wreath of flowers on his head, another with him carrying her in his arms by the seaside. Reverence, kindness, and joy suffuse both the narrative and the pictures, refilling our hearts so that we, too, want to go and hug the ones we love.
