This story is so adorable. Its light-hearted, but also teaches children and when its appropriate to hug. I had to laugh at some of the animals who wanted hugs and the cats reaction to those animals.

This story is so good! The main appeal is the cute factor. The illustrations are wonderful! They are bright, cute, and have enough small details to make you want to flip through it again. I love the double spread of the illustrations. It makes them seem even bigger and bolder. The text is simple and has some great humor to make it engaging and enjoyable for young readers. I can easily see many children enjoying this book.

For such a little book, this story carries a really big message – setting boundaries on your time and space. When I was growing up, hugs tended to be a form of hello and goodbye. You would get hugs as you came in the door and before you left. A common phrase was “Go and give Grandma and Grandaddy a hug before we go” or “Make sure you give Grandaddy and Grandma a hug and let them know you’re here” if someone else had opened the door at a holiday get together. This is great, but sometimes even little children can feel like maybe they just don’t want a hug right then.

In this book, it starts with a cat getting sick and telling a little girl that it doesn’t feel good. She asks the cat if it would like a hug and it says “Okay”. She hugs the little cat to help it feel better, but a dog sees and asks for a hug too. Then a few ducks all want a hug too. Even animals like a bear and tiger want hugs! By the end, eighteen (18) animals have wanted a hug, including the sick cat, and the girl just doesn’t feel up to it. She has to put in boundaries and the other creatures hug each other instead.

The main part of this story was wonderfully illustrated and told in so few words. Most of the words were “hug” and “okay”, which makes this great for smaller and younger kids who don’t have a huge vocabulary yet. It also has that wonderful message that both kids and parents need to hear – it’s OK to not feel up to a hug right now. One great idea is that if a kid seems reluctant to give a hug, ask them to do a high-five or give a wave or make a funny face. Maybe they just aren’t up to a hug but would still really love some interaction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hug? is a sweet children's picture book showing how hugs can make you feel better, but also the problem with giving too much of your self to others, in the form of hugs. It's a great way to show children how to set physical and emotional boundaries at a young age to keep themselves from feeling emotional burnout and recognizing what they might need to feel better.

The art is adorable and the characters are really cute. I especially liked the cat, but that isn't much of a surprise.

"Hug?" by Charlene Chua is a darling and comical book about a little girl who gives hugs to a whole host of animals. Each animal sees another animal being hugged and wants to get one too. The cast of characters waiting to be hugged is diverse, fun and engaging for readers of all ages! We particularly loved the Unicorn! The message is great for young children and the book allows for multiple opportunities to stop and discuss the different species interested in hugging. The wonderful illustrations were amazing too which was an added bonus. We loved this book and will be purchasing a copy!

Throw a cat into any book and I'm there. This is truly adorable; a little girl shows all sorts of animals the joys of hugs (also I'm pretty sure there's a subliminal message here about selfless love and putting others first but we can leave that be).

As the description says “sometimes a hug is just what you need and sometimes it is JUST NOT!” A good book to introduce consent and also the wonderful power of hugs.

Cat doesn't feel that well. Do they want a hug?

Our unnamed protagonist starts giving out hugs. Hugs are great! Hugs are awesome! ...until they're not.

This book is a great way to teach someone about consent, boundaries and emotional exhaustion. It's show, don't tell. There is no narrator, simply a person wanting to do something nice for a friend and having to learn how to say no.

I liked this, both in idea and implementation.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was just what I needed in these trying times. I am a big hugger and right now only my cat gets to (lets bei honest: has to) enjoy them.
So a picture book about giving hugs and the times you might need one in return was very precious and dear to my heart.
Highly recommend!
PS: love the attitude of the unicorn though ^^

Hug? The little girl is so sweet and all too happy to hug all the animals that want a hug. Perfect book to sit down and read with kids. I found it engaging and can see small children really enjoying the storyline and the animals.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Charlene Chua for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you for letting me read this! This is a perfect story about boundaries that children will be able to understand. I hope this sorry will help children.

It’s a cute story of a girl who hugs every animal requesting one. My kids & I enjoyed this! It’s entertaining, heartwarming and an easy read. Thanks to Kids Can Press, Charlene Chua, and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest review.

An amusing little piece, with a young girl happy to give a hug to her pet cat when it feels icky, but who doesn't realise that it will lead to everything else needing a hug, including the local skunk, a passing porcupine, and possibly even a unicorn. It's a pleasant way to pass a couple of minutes, but I think it's a bit of a one-joke book, that therefore won't be taken off the shelf too often. It's certainly enjoyable, though – and I suppose you could hang discussion of bodily contact, permission etc on it, if you must spoil the fun. Four stars is a touch generous, but it's a friendly book, so I'm being so, too.

What just happened?
I mean what just happened?

I am so like hugging myself right now because of this book! This book made me feel like I was reading a really amazing comic strip! And wow it's so well done!

Who would have thought I would enjoy a mere few pages of beautifully illustrated children's picture book on hugs featuring all kinds of wild animals and a sweet little girl who ultimately freaks out because of others demanding too much hugs from her?!

Well, I DID!

As a Webtoons series addict, I raise all my ten fingers up to say that I approve of this book one hundred percent! The kids are already missing out on something this amazing! Grab the copy!

Thanks #NetGalley for the book!

Hugs? By Charlene Chua is the sweetest little book about the exciting and sometimes annoying nature of giving hugs!

Our little leading lady gives a lot of hugs! To her kitty when they don't feel well, to a dog who just wants a hug, and to many other creatures that come her way. Suddenly, creatures that aren't as huggable want hugs and our poor friend is feeling kind of worn out!

This book isn't educational, but it was very sweet. I can see very young kids enjoying this book to see all the animals. It can be a very interactive book if parents try to make it fun! There is probably some lesson about saying no and how hugs can make you feel good, so there is a way to make it educational!

I really like the illustrations. They had a soft yet simple feel. I feel like they fit the sweet nature of this book really well.

Overall, I really like this book! It's sugary sweet and totally worth the read! If you have kids that love picture books and animals, grab this book!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for supplying me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.