Downing, Julie. No Hugs Till Saturday. Illustrated by Julie Downing. Clarion, 2008. ISBN 9780618910786. $16.00. 31 p.
Reviewer: Meriam Bates
Reading Level: Toddler, Preschool, Primary
Rating: Outstanding
Genre: Picture books; Fiction; Fantasy fiction;
Subject: Hugging--Juvenile fiction; Mothers and sons--Juvenile fiction; Week -- Juvenile fiction; Books--Reviews;
Every morning, first thing, Felix gives his mama a special hug. "Do you want a soft snuggle, a super squeeze, or a monster mash?" he asks her. However, when Felix disobeys and gets his toy taken away until "tomorrow," he decides to punish his mama. He declares that there will be, "No hugs till Saturday." After a while, Felix begins to wonder how many days there are until Saturday. When his mama tells him there are six whole days left, he changes the ban on hugs until just Friday, but it still seems like a long time away. When Felix goes to bed, he realizes that he will have to sleep all night long without a hug. He decides to end the “No Hugs” ban and give his mama a goodnight hug; then he gives her six more, one for every day of the week, just to be safe. Downing's bright water color and colored pencil illustrations add humor and additional insights to the text. Background details, such as little handprints at the bottom corner of a wall, help give the book a three-dimensional feel, but Downing also keeps the illustrations simple enough to focus young readers on the story’s action. The repetition of the days of the week helps young children learn the names without distracting from the storyline. Parents and children will laugh together as they read about Felix and his special hugs.
Volume 30, no. 1 (September/October 2009)
