Have you ever just needed a hug? Douglass wakes up after a long winter of hibernating and really feels the need for a satisfying hug, yet everything he tries hugging just doesn't feel quite right. This large hardcover book is quite large itself (just about huggable size), with large font that is easy to follow along with and attractive to young eyes just learning to recognize letters. The painted pictures use bold colors and Douglas is portrayed as an adorable big brown bear with a bulbous black nose and innocent eyes who just wants what should be a simple request to fill. Douglas knows exactly the type of hug he's looking for too; it needs to be big, tall, and comfy. However, when he hugged a big boulder, it was too heavy. A tall tree gave him splinters, and a comfy looking bush actually ran away from him!
Your little one will likely enjoy the humor involved in Douglas' quest, whether it's the look on the owl's face when Douglas hugs him against the owl's will, or when Douglas wipes his nose on a rabbit's tale without thinking, or the sheep that remains stuck to Douglas' backside after he accidentally sits on it while hugging other sheep. You can play hugging games with your little one, like asking them what kind of hug they enjoy giving the most, and who or what they like to hug when they feel the way Douglas does. The rabbit eventually leads Douglas back to his mother where he finally gets the hug he was looking for, "Come to think of it, my best hugs are from someone I love." Perhaps the most fun is found in the final two pages - after the story - when the bunny and sheep demonstrate all the different types of hugs they can think of.
My three year-old friend, Sam, and I spent several minutes looking at all the different images and giggling. The bunny and sheep stand on their heads for an upside-down hug, put on their nightcaps for a goodnight hug, and cover their eyes with their ears for a shy hug. Some of my favorites were the Come-and-Get-It Hug, the Solo Hug, and the Unrequited Hug.
--Audra
