How Many Hugs?

Do more arms mean better hugs? That's the question raised in this lighthearted contemplation of animal intimacy, Swain and Henry's follow-up to All Kinds of Kisses. Starting with appendage-free snakes, Swain moves through the animal kingdoms, highlighting creatures with a growing number of arms, legs, or tentacles. These rhymes can get convoluted as they try to strike a playful note, divide each number in half (since a hug requires two arms), and provide details about each animal: "While nautilus--a small secretive squid/ that lives in a chamber where she likes to stay hid--/ comes out for a squeeze from her ninety long tentacles./ That's forty-five hugs, each one identical." But as a thought experiment, it's charming, as are Henry's smudgy graphics, which feature subtle heart shapes hidden throughout. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. Illustrator's agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Dec.)

"Do more arms mean better hugs? That's the question raised in this lighthearted contemplation of animal intimacy, Swain and Henry's follow-up to All Kinds of Kisses. ...charming."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for All Kinds of Kisses:

"Swain invites readers to contemplate the types of kisses 11 animals might bestow on each other, based on their distinctive mouths, beaks, tongues, and jaws. ... What is consistent is the tenderness between the adult animals and their offspring, as captured in Henry's (It's Raining Bats and Cats) rough-edged, mid-20th-century-retro portraits. A closing spread offers additional details about the sun bears, porpoises, chubsuckers, and other features creatures." —Publishers Weekly