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From Patrick McDonnell, creator of the comic strip Mutts, comes a heart-warming tale that is perfect for Valentine's Day. A kitten is so filled with love that he sets off to give the whole world a hug. He manages to hug about 45 different species, including one baobab tree, but discovers that the whole world is too big to hug. When he returns home, however, he finds someone with open arms greeting him at the door. Love, love, love this book. Recommended by Sarah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Review:
"McDonnell (Just Like Heaven), creator of the comic strip Mutts, has a fan base that will greet this book with open arms. The strip's hero, the cat Jules, sets out to hug one of every sort of animal in the world. This large goal is made less overwhelming by the book's diminutive trim size and the conviction on Jules's tiny, wide-eyed face (famous for his big red honker). McDonnell's previous books had sparer palettes; this one combines warm, cream pages with pastel ink-and-watercolor vignettes to pleasing effect. Double-page spreads of snowy Arctic expanses under a moonlit turquoise sky provide a tense moment ('But at the North Pole, Jules sadly found/ What it would be like with no one around'). The artist quickly dispels the audience's concern, because as Jules starts to sniff, a polar bear offers him a hug. Meter and rhyme wobble a bit ('There once was a kitten so filled with love,/ He wanted to give the whole world a hug'), but the sentiment seems to come from the heart. McDonnell's carefully mixed gouaches and his able draftsmanship — the rarer the animal, the less likely he is to resort to caricature — hint at newly revealed talents. Ages 3-6." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Synopsis:
There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug
And so Jules the kitten (also known in the Mutts cartoons as Shtinky Puddin') goes down the stairs to hug his friends, then all the birds in the park--and then he travels the world, hugging all those he meets As Jules learns, a hug is the simplest--but kindest--gift we can give. And you can start giving right here, right now with the one who's closest to you. A joyous story about sharing love with a gently environmental theme.
dolphin2349, January 9, 2012 (view all comments by dolphin2349)
I honestly wouldn't have picked this book up, knowing that it was a children's book. But the fact that the title of a children's book caught my eye, says a lot. At first, I thought it wasn't going to be that great because I never really like children's books and it didn't seem like they had a moral to it. But with this one....it was touching and it really makes you think about how you can make someone's day with a hug. For me, it made me think that the world could be a better place, if everyone started their day with a hug. This is a book I would want to read to my kids, one day, and share with my love.
Product details
48 pages
Little, Brown Young Readers -
English9780316114943
Reviews:
"Staff Pick"
by Sarah H.,
From Patrick McDonnell, creator of the comic strip Mutts, comes a heart-warming tale that is perfect for Valentine's Day. A kitten is so filled with love that he sets off to give the whole world a hug. He manages to hug about 45 different species, including one baobab tree, but discovers that the whole world is too big to hug. When he returns home, however, he finds someone with open arms greeting him at the door. Love, love, love this book.
by Sarah H.
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"McDonnell (Just Like Heaven), creator of the comic strip Mutts, has a fan base that will greet this book with open arms. The strip's hero, the cat Jules, sets out to hug one of every sort of animal in the world. This large goal is made less overwhelming by the book's diminutive trim size and the conviction on Jules's tiny, wide-eyed face (famous for his big red honker). McDonnell's previous books had sparer palettes; this one combines warm, cream pages with pastel ink-and-watercolor vignettes to pleasing effect. Double-page spreads of snowy Arctic expanses under a moonlit turquoise sky provide a tense moment ('But at the North Pole, Jules sadly found/ What it would be like with no one around'). The artist quickly dispels the audience's concern, because as Jules starts to sniff, a polar bear offers him a hug. Meter and rhyme wobble a bit ('There once was a kitten so filled with love,/ He wanted to give the whole world a hug'), but the sentiment seems to come from the heart. McDonnell's carefully mixed gouaches and his able draftsmanship — the rarer the animal, the less likely he is to resort to caricature — hint at newly revealed talents. Ages 3-6." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
There was once a kitten so filled with love he wanted to give the whole world a hug
And so Jules the kitten (also known in the Mutts cartoons as Shtinky Puddin') goes down the stairs to hug his friends, then all the birds in the park--and then he travels the world, hugging all those he meets As Jules learns, a hug is the simplest--but kindest--gift we can give. And you can start giving right here, right now with the one who's closest to you. A joyous story about sharing love with a gently environmental theme.
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