The Catalogue of Hugs

by Joshua David Stein (Author) Elizabeth Lilly (Illustrator)

The Catalogue of Hugs
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Author and dad-fluencer Joshua David Stein offers up an array of parent-and-child hugs, from the classic to the humorously questionable, each one cleverly titled and informatively illustrated.

For affectionate families everywhere comes this engaging reference volume featuring 25 kinds of hugs. From the more traditional to the all-out risky, this collection runs a creatively wide gamut of ways to embrace...and by doing so, brings comfort to the forefront of conversation. Every hug was field-tested by the author and his sons, and titled for practicality and kicks. The Quentin Blake-esque drawings are rendered with graceful accuracy and joy by artist Elizabeth Lilly. The pure physicality of being a child - or being a parent - is documented with wit and style for both to enjoy.

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Hardcover
$16.99

Publishers Weekly

The father and son authors of this picture book survey hug types gentle, rambunctious, and in-between, humorously detailing variations of the embrace for an array of situations. In each spread, the name of a particular hug style appears alongside one of Lilly's wispy, sketch-lined images of adults and children demonstrating the interaction. Using ample white space, blocks of color pop in the depictions of people with a range of abilities and skin tones wearing brightly accented clothing or accessories. Hug type "the Frontpack" accompanies an image of an adult who uses a prosthetic leg holding a child to their front; "the Flying Squirrel" envisages a collision about to occur; and "the Necklace" attends an image of a child hanging from an adult's neck. A final spread invites readers to experiment with a bonus list of hug styles, including "the Hot Cocoa," "the Tuba" and "the Puppy Hug." Ages 2-5. (Dec.)

Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

PreS-Gr 2--Who needs a hug? Everyone does, as this brief but delightful book explains. People of every skin tone, body size, age, and physical ability are shown embracing in all the variations that seem humanly possible, only the authors give outrageously funny names to these positions. The "koala" shows the child hanging on an adult's leg; the "flying squirrel" is executed by leaping from a bed. A child with arms wrapped around a grandpa's neck demonstrates the "necklace," while another perched on the arm of a parent's wheelchair shows us the "rolling hug." "Classic," "frontpack," "backpack," and "blindfold," are among the many variations, along with the "tantrum" hug and the "work at home" hug. At the end, there's even a compilation of additional positions for those wishing to experiment with showing affection in new ways. Colorful artwork conveys energy and joy in this very clever concept book. VERDICT Perhaps even more important in a world reeling from a pandemic, this is a not-to-miss addition for all collections.--Gloria Koster

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Joshua David Stein
Joshua David Stein is a writer, editor, and podcast host in New York City. He is the editor-at-large at Fatherly and host of The Fatherly Podcast. He is the author of multiple adult books, including Food & Beer (Phaidon), Epicurean Journeys (Rizzoli), the forthcoming To Me He Was Just Dad (Artisan), as well as the co-author of Notes from a Young Black Chef (Knopf). He has also written several children's books, including Can I Eat That?; Brick, Who Found Herself in Architecture; The Ball Book (all Phaidon); and most recently The Invisible Alphabet (Rise x Penguin Workshop). He recently founded The Band Books, a band that performs children's books to music. A longtime media fixture, Stein has been the editor-in-chief of BlackBook magazine, the editor at Black Ink, a senior editor at Departures, the senior editor of Eater, and the editor-at-large at Out magazine and Tasting Table. He is currently a contributing editor at Food & Wine. Stein lives in Brooklyn with his two young sons.

Dominique Ramsey is a freelance illustrator from Atlanta, Georgia, who has a passion for telling stories about animals, nature, and the whimsical-mysteries things in life. Her inspiration comes from animation, video games, music, and children's books that have an animal focus, including the Warrior Cats book series and the Pokémon game franchise. Her inspiration also comes from animals themselves, the spiritual connection they have, their relationship with people, and what they mean to different cultures. Dominique strives for uniqueness, using bright colors, bold lines, shapes, and patterns that can excite and capture the viewer's eye. Her work focuses heavily on symbolism, where she explores themes such as mystery, culture, identity, and the subconscious mind. Her work has been acknowledged by 3x3 magazine, Society of Illustrators, and Creative Quarterly. She received her BFA in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2020.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780593521793
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Rise X Penguin Workshop
Publication date
December 27, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF028000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Humor | General
JNF019000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Family | General
JNF013060 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Concepts | Senses & Sensation
Library of Congress categories
-

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