A Book of Hugs by Dave Ross, illus. by Laura Rader, the first of a pair of board books, catalogues all manner of embraces, from "Puppy Hugs," which are "very soft and wet" to "Sister Hugs," which are "also known as a Single Arm Hug... [and] are good for when you walk together (even if you aren't sisters)." A Book of Kisses similarly enumerates the array of busses to be had. ( Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Ages 3-5. The title says it all. Each page shows a different kind of hug; there's a heading at the top of the clean white page (Bear Hugs); a brief description on the bottom ("Bear hugs are strong, be careful not to hurt"); and a cheerful, well-drawn, cartoon-style picture in the middle. Some of the hugs, such as Mommy hugs, are sweet, and other hugs, such as knee-hugs (the kind you might give to a giraffe), are sort of silly. Generally, however, this is a simple, upbeat book that gets most of its humor from the engaging pictures. Not an essential purchase, but a happy one. (Reviewed March 15, 1999)0060281472Ilene Cooper

Various types of hugs, including piggyback hugs, daddy hugs, birthday hugs, and ice-cube hugs (quite common in February), are described in one or two sentences per page. The illustrations, depicting an assorted group of cartoon-style animals, add humor to the rather saccharine text. A Facts and Hints about Hugging section is appended. This is a friendly if slight selection for youngsters. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

PreS-Gr 2-Originally published in 1980 with black-and-white drawings by the author, this picture book has been reissued with new full-color illustrations. Beginning with dictionary definitions of "Hug," "Hugger," and "Huggable," the book describes various types of embraces, from the ordinary ("Grandma hugs...are especially nice in the kitchen") to the unusual ("Ice-cube hugs are quite common in February"). The final pages close with facts and hints about these displays of affection, such as "Never hug tomorrow when you could hug today." Minor text changes have been made; for example, "pricker-bush hugs" have been eliminated, while "good-night hugs" and "I-love-you hugs" have been added. The short, simple text works well with the brightly colored, cartoon-style illustrations of animals dressed in goofy clothing. Young children will giggle at the sillier images (an octopus squeezing a surprised fish) and may recognize many of the situations from their own lives (an embrace from Great-Aunt Mary, which leaves lipstick on your cheek). Although some of the paintings are too small for group sharing, this book will work well for intimate groups or as a bedtime read-aloud. Libraries owning the original will probably want to replace it with this attractive update.-Dawn Amsberry, formerly at Oakland Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.