Hug a Bug

Hug a Bug by Eileen Spinelli is another book I purchased while visiting family on Lake Erie because of the message. The main character is a little girl and she goes around hugging lots of different people, even a grouch. The grouch actually enjoys the hug and begins hugging things on his own. Through Spinelli's poetic ease she shows readers a hug shows you care, hugs should be gentle, and hugs turn frowns into smiles. After reading this book a few times I think this would be a great book to help model using picture clues to read the text and confirm the reader's thinking. The illustrator, Dan Andreasen is from Medina, Ohio. His illustrations are warm and the expressions are humorous, especially the eyes. Just a fun read to start the year with while building a community.