The Hug

Author: Eoin McLaughlin Illustrator: Polly Dunbar

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Tortoise really wants a hug, but no-one wants to oblige. Frog finds he has to hop off suddenly; Rabbit's in the middle of digging a hole. Owl explains that Tortoise's shell is putting off the animals: what to do?

At the same time, but at the other end of the book, Hedgehog is having just the same problem. Squirrel's apparently in the middle of counting all her nuts (even though she only has three) and Magpie says that he might have time for a hug after he sings his song... which is quite long. It's the prickles that are putting everyone off.

Both Tortoise and Hedgehog are really sad... who will they find to hug? Turns out that perhaps there might be someone...

Engineered so that each character's story is depicted on opposite sides of the book that have to be flipped over to meet in the middle with a lovely big HUG, this is a sweet, touching book about finding just the right friend – and hug – for you.

More books like this

Ruffles and the Teeny, Tiny Kittens

Author: David Melling

Meet Ruffles, the playful puppy, as he learns to share his space and belongings with a litter of kittens. There's no finger-wagging here, only tail wagging – the tone is light and fun and the message about sharing with others sinks in through humour and repetition.

Pablo and the Noisy Party

Author: Andrew Brenner and Sumita Majumdar

Pablo finds the noise at his cousin's party overwhelming, but his imaginary friends are there to help him make sense of the situation. This empowering book and TV series competently reflect neurodiversity and has been developed by writers who are themselves on the autistic spectrum.