Don’t Hug the Quokka is a sweet children’s book. In this story with beautiful illustrations, Quokka tells you all of the ways he doesn't want to hug.
As a teacher, this is a great lesson to give children on introducing consent for a younger crowd. Children want to feel safe in their body, and they will be able to relate to Quokka. I think this book is important for every classroom and library to have.

This is an adorable book with beautiful illustrations about consent and how to treat others with respect.

Quokka tells you all of the ways he doesn't want to hug.
This is a great book to introduce consent for younger crowd.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* very great kids books, i don't like in an area with quokkas but the "don't hug wild animals" thing still applies lol very cute book with a helpful message!

I’ve read many picture books about bodily autonomy written with the mission of teaching children about protecting themselves from unwanted touching by others. Unfortunately, so many of them, while containing essential information for children, are themselves scary for younger readers.

“Don’t Hug the Quokka!,” however, is a different kind of book that teaches young children about the importance of bodily autonomy and consent with a balance of seriousness and a touch of whimsy, The focus is on an adorable, albeit unnamed, Quokka. It takes a talented and creative author to carry off that seemingly impossible task, but author Daniel Errico is very much up to the challenge

The author uses rhyming verse, with pictures of the Quokka in various situations in which someone might be about to try to touch him. The genius of the book is that even with the increasingly adamant Quokka saying no to being touched/hugged, the pictures and rhyming verses don’t evoke fear. What they do is teach children about empowerment and consent in a comfortable way.

The final page shows a picture of the Ouokka smiling with his arms outstretched out in welcome. The words are: “So don’t hug the Quokka. That is unless… You ask the Quokka and the Quokka says Yes!”

The book is published by Magination, which is the children’s imprint of the, American Psychological Association. That was a plus for me because it made me feel confident that it is a book I could trust. A great bonus is that the book contains two pages at the end titled “Notes for Parents and Caretakers” by Karin Rayne, Ph.D. , which gives helpful advice about discussing the issues of touching and a child’s right to set boundaries and saying “no” to engaging in hugs with others.

If you’ve been looking for the perfect book to teach these important concepts to young children, I highly recommend “Don’t Touch the Quokka.”

By Daniel Errico
Illustrated by Mia Powell
Release Date June 6, 2022
Publisher Magination Press

A little boy encounters an adorable quokka and wants to hug it. Throughout the story, different ways to touch the quokka are talked about but always result with the quokka saying no. The story has a good rhythm when read aloud and before each “no'' the line “the quokka says…” is repeated. Along with the repetition of the word “no,” young listeners will be able to easily interact with the text. For readers nervous about how to pronounce quokka, there’s a phonetic tip before the story starts. The sentences are also short and there are few on each page, so young readers won’t be intimidated by the text.
The illustrations by Mia Powell are bright and cheery, inviting the readers to not only pay attention to the pictures, but also spend time looking at all the antics and surroundings the quokka gets into. Each “no” in the story is placed in the illustration, making it break from the normal font and stick out to the readers. There is back matter that gives information about how to approach and teach the subject of boundaries and consent to children. It would be a great book to use in an SEL lesson.
Overall, this text gets a 3 out of 5 stars. It’s a cute book with illustrations that will appeal to many readers. However, there wasn’t much that really stuck out and it could be replaced with another SEL book about boundaries. If you have readers that love cute animals and are just starting to build their confidence in picture books, this book will likely do well in your collection. If you already have some SEL books that talk about boundaries, then this is a title you could skip.

This is an excellent resource to start a conversation with young kids about boundaries and consent! I especially love that they use the quokka as their example--the cute, cuddly animal that looks like it's just begging for a hug. But no, this quokka does not want to be hugged and is very clear about communicating those boundaries.

This covers very important concept like bodily autonomy, all the excuses people might give when violating boundaries, and the importance of asking, and getting, an enthusiastic yes. The art is very lively and expressive and interprets the story well. There's a very helpful guide for caregivers at the end that covers how to discuss these ideas in kid-friendly terms. This would be a fantastic class read and a great addition to school and classroom libraries!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

A perfect book to teach the idea of consent to little ones. The quokka has the right to say no hugs no matter how cute they are or how often you ask them, same with children! Perfect for story time in class or one on one at home. Great book with a great message

This is an interesting book for body autonomy. I originally thought this was going to be more information about quokkas not being friendly or something similar. But that’s not what this is. It’s a fun rhyming story that is all about when someone doesn’t want a hug. It’s OK to not want to hug, no matter how approachable someone may be. I love the story! The rhymes can be a little harsh at times but overall, it works. The illustrations are fun, bright, and will keep the readers interested. Plus, learning about a new animal whose name begins with a Q can make for lots of storytime joviality.

Great book! Buy one for all of the parents and grandparents who demand that children hug unfamiliar relatives! Many of the kids who reject this idea are uncomfortable with it and not just playing for attention. Not all adults are comfortable with the practice either so it's good to have positive reinforcement for those who reject the practice.
The imaginative, colorful illustrations by illustrator Mia Powell are delightful!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from American Psychological Association/ Magination Press via NetGalley. Thank you

Yes. Yup. Definitely. Uh huh.

For as many no's as there are in this book, I say yes to buying it! Absolutely lovely picture book that is a great introduction to the idea of saying no when you're not ok with something. I was never really comfortable with how some people felt like hugging without permission was ok, even before the pandemic, with the excuse, "Oh, I'm just a hugger!" I have people I'm ok with that from, but there's many more I'm not. The illustrations are great, I love both the text and the follow-up for afterwards to prompt further discussion with the kids, and I'm definitely ordering this for my library. 100%.

I love this book so much! I think this book can teach multiple lessons to both children and parents. First is how to treat animals. Even though animals can be cute and cuddly, they still might now want to be close to humans and may even be dangerous. This can teach kids how to respect animals. Second is the obvious reason for this book. No means no. Even something that may not seem like a big deal, like a hug, can make someone very uncomfortable. I get so frustrated when I see people forcing their children to hug and kiss family and even strangers. A child should have the right to say no just like adults. Consent is something that should be taught to children right away and is incredibly important. I think everyone needs to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and author for giving me a preview of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this! I was a shy and timid child and was uncomfortable teling people no. This is a great tool to help teach kids that it is okay to say no and have good relationships while maintaining boundaries.

"ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

AHH thank you so much NetGalley and the American Psychological Association for allowing me to read this book! My background is in psychology/neuroscience so I'm always looking for great age appropriate reads to describe big feelings to young kids. This book is an excellent primer for conversations about consent and how to express support/love within your own and other peoples' boundaries.

The illustrations are also phenomenal! 5/5 stars, will be recommending to my library for purchase when it publishes in June!

Normally a contentious topic, Don't Hug the Quokka, turns the discussion of consent into a silly and light-hearted conversation for parents or teachers to have with children. Errico has taken a challenging subject and made it easily accessible for young minds. Using animals as the characters instead of people makes it fun and less of the serious doom-and-gloom tone that some consent books can have. It is a simple read with a critically important message.

Bodily autonomy can be a hard conversation to start and this makes it easy for adults to talk about and for children to understand. The message is simple. Your body is yours and anyone must ask for permission before touching it, even if it is just a hug. No means no.

This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating difficult to navigate topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach an important life skill in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classroom libraries, counselling offices and more.

Absolutely a must read.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a positive message story about hugging.

"Don't Hug the Quokka" is an adorably illustrated picture book about consent and bodily autonomy. This picture book would be an excellent addition to any public or school library. The book includes a concise and helpful discussion guide for parents and caregivers.

The artwork is adorable. My daughter loved looking at the Quokka. She thought it was funny that the quokka didn't want to hug until the end when he said yes. But as a mother, this book helped me to talk to my daughter about not letting people touch her or hug her unless she wants them to. It helps to show boundaries with specific animals, but it can also translate to people.

A cute story to teach kids about body autonomy. Well written and beautifully illustrated. I think using a quokka was a great idea because they're a cute animal with a name kids can recall when they need to think of saying no.

I really enjoyed this children's book. I read it to my nephew and he loved the pictures and responding "NO" with the Quokka. He also that the Quokka was super cute!

It is so important to teach children about consent at a young age. I liked how the animal's only answer was no. I feel we often feel the need to explain why we don't want something and really we should be able to say NO becuase no simply means no.

I am definetly going to be buying this book for my nephew so that he can read it again and be reminded that he can say no to things he does not feel comfortable with.

Thank you for the opportunity to read it early.