THE CATALOGUE OF HUGS

Spreading the love, one hug and one family at a time.

Joshua David Stein and his son Augustus, a fifth grader, compile an assortment of hug types. Each spread lists the name of a hug and includes a simple yet joyous, loose-lined illustration. There’s the Sloth (a brown-skinned child treats a brown-skinned adult like a jungle gym, wrapping their limbs around the adult’s arm) and the Tantrum (a bawling, tan-skinned child clutching a tan-skinned adult’s ankles). Readers might know the Backpack as a piggyback ride. There are more than 20 hugs here, but those still eager for more ways to express their affection will appreciate the final page, which suggests the names of 22 more to try. The book is inclusive in its depictions of family, making this a wonderful baby shower or adoption celebration present. One grown-up wears a hijab. A pair of White-presenting older adults are seen with a child—perhaps grandparents raising a little one. A White-presenting adult gives a nighttime hug to a child with dark brown skin and hair, and a later image shows the two as part of a multiracial family. With the Rolling Hug, a White-presenting adult using a motorized wheelchair gives a ride and hug to a child. Readers will definitely be feeling the love by the end of this warm and reassuring testament to hugs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Make room on the shelf for this book that captures the creativity and universality of love.