Hug

Hug

by Jez Alborough

Bobo needs a hug. But his friends don't seem to understand. "Hug," he implores, time and again. Time and again his puzzled pals--from the smallest chameleon to the tallest giraffe--shrug and cuddle with their jungle mothers. As the lonely chimp's plea escalates, his friends grow concerned. Can the elephants lead Bobo to his heart's desire?

A perfect book about what kids are best at - hugs! The thicker board pages and small size of the book are perfect for your child to hold in his or her lap and turn the pages as you read together. The repetition of the main word, "hug" will help your child learn to recognize the word. The pages are completely filled with color and zoo animals your child will recognize like monkeys, elephants, tigers, and hippos, as well as some new animals to learn like lizards, snakes, and giraffes. With only three different words in the book, the pictures truly tell the story of little Bobo looking through the jungle for his mother to hug.

This book is a wonderful learning tool for your little one as they learn to read, have the the opportunity to spell out 'h-u-g' and then put the sounds together. You can also talk about how all of the animals hug differently. For example, the giraffes hug by wrapping their long necks together, but the hippos hug with the baby hippo on his mother's back. At the end, Bobo and his mommy hug just like you and your little one - the perfect opportunity to show your baby what the book is all about.

I love reading this book to my two-year-old friend Scott because he crawls into my lap and we hold the book together. Whenever Bobo says "hug", I give Scott a little squeeze. Hug was one of Scotts first words, and he always says it whether he's giving or receiving one.

--Audra