Kid Konnection: The Runaway Hug

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week, I'm going to share with you an adorable picture book that's perfect for Valentine's Day.

Summary: "Mommy," said Lucy. "Can I have a hug before I go to bed?"

When Mommy jokes that she only has one hug left, Lucy decides she must keep Mommy's last hug safe. As Lucy shares the hug with everyone in her large and loving family, she is always careful to get it back . . . until the canine member of the family refuses to play along!

Highly acclaimed, internationally bestselling picture-book creators Nick Bland and Freya Blackwood collaborate for the first time on this charming story, which celebrates the imaginative powers of children and the extraordinary love to be found in ordinary bedtime routines. -- Random House

THE RUNAWAY HUG by Nick Bland and Freya Blackwood is so darn sweet that I can hardly stand it. This one is not only perfect for Valentine's Day but it's also great for bedtimes!

It's bedtime and Lucy asks her mom for a hug before bed. Her mommy teases her that she only has one hug left and Lucy has to promise to give it back. Lucy proceeds to go around the house giving everyone a hug (daddy, the twins, and the baby) while being sure to get them back. And then she gives a hug to her dog and he runs away with it. Thankfully, the dog returns the hug to Lucy (in a very playful way) so she can give it back to her mom one last time!

I just loved THE RUNAWAY HUG although it made me a little sad that both of my kids are way past the target audience for this book. Heck, they are past the age for the bedtime hug and kiss routine part too! I think both little ones and their parents are going to adore this picture book -- probably for different reasons.

Parents can't help but love the portrayal of family life as bedtime approaches. It's obviously a chaotic time in the household, and the family in this book is far from perfect as seen in the illustrations of their cluttered house. However, adults will find the overall message of love to be quite touching.

And kids are just going to love this story too! The book kind of follows a pattern with Lucy offering a hug to each family member and then getting it back. So when the dog actually runs away with her hug, it's pretty funny. In addition, children will enjoy looking at the delightful illustrations and even finding a thing or two out of place.

THE RUNAWAY HUG is adorable! Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book.

If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!