Unwrapping...
Authored and illustrated by: Simona Ciraolo
Unwrapping the story... being careful not to get picked...
Rhyming today...
Hug Me
Felipe is a cactus
A baby 'mongst many,
He longs for a hug
But doesn't get any.
He's lonely and sad,
His prickles don't help,
If he gets way to close
The "huggee" will yelp.
He befriends a balloon,
Snuggles up and ... oh my...
He injures his friend...
Felipe starts to cry.
He doesn't give up,
He hates sitting still,
He's determined to get a big hug...
And he will!!
Finally it happens
A craggy new friend,
Longs too for a hug,
So his heart will mend.
The new friends they cuddle,
Give hugs, are content,
Two unlikely friends,
Whose friendship is meant.
The pictures are perfect,
Expressive and bold,
Endpapers included
Help the story be told.
This book is a winner
Heartwarming and fun,
A tale that is charming
That suits everyone!
Best Children's Book of 2014, Brain Pickings
"Unlikely friends come together in “Hug Me,” by the Italian author Simona Ciraolo. She uses whimsical, jagged colored-pencil drawings to portray Felipe, a young cactus who just wants someone to wrap his arms around."—New York Times
"There is, of course, a deeper allegorical undertone to the tale, beyond the surface interpretation of celebrating one’s inner softness in a culture that encourages a prickly exterior. A subtle undercurrent celebrates the spiritual homecoming of finding one’s tribe, the expansive embrace found in a kinship of souls. The story is also a celebration of free will, reminding us ever so gently that whatever our circumstances, we always have choices — and that our inability to see this is perhaps our gravest self-imposed limitation." - Brain Pickings
"Ciraola tells her story with wry understatement, allowing her expressive illustrations to carry the narrative. … Though Felipe’s not the first prickly children’s-book character ever to want a hug, he certainly is a charmer.” - Kirkus Reviews
"One of the things I like about this picture book—aside from its adorableness!—is that it’s honest. […] Hug Me is a book about being yourself, getting your needs met, and finding a kindred soul. All in a super cute package. Well done!" - This Picture Book LIfe
Hug Me is a remarkable book that tells a complex tale in charming drawings and poetic prose. […] It’s the story of the universal need for affection and friendship, even if we are somewhat prickly." —Joy Corcoran
"Unlikely friends come together in “Hug Me,” by the Italian author Simona Ciraolo. She uses whimsical, jagged colored-pencil drawings to portray Felipe, a young cactus who just wants someone to wrap his arms around."—New York Times
"There is, of course, a deeper allegorical undertone to the tale, beyond the surface interpretation of celebrating one’s inner softness in a culture that encourages a prickly exterior. A subtle undercurrent celebrates the spiritual homecoming of finding one’s tribe, the expansive embrace found in a kinship of souls. The story is also a celebration of free will, reminding us ever so gently that whatever our circumstances, we always have choices — and that our inability to see this is perhaps our gravest self-imposed limitation." - Brain Pickings
"Ciraola tells her story with wry understatement, allowing her expressive illustrations to carry the narrative. … Though Felipe’s not the first prickly children’s-book character ever to want a hug, he certainly is a charmer.” - Kirkus Reviews
"One of the things I like about this picture book—aside from its adorableness!—is that it’s honest. […] Hug Me is a book about being yourself, getting your needs met, and finding a kindred soul. All in a super cute package. Well done!" - This Picture Book LIfe
Hug Me is a remarkable book that tells a complex tale in charming drawings and poetic prose. […] It’s the story of the universal need for affection and friendship, even if we are somewhat prickly." —Joy Corcoran
From the Back Cover
Ever feel like you need a hug, a really big hug from someone?
That's how Felipe the young cactus feels, bu this family just isn't the touchy-feely kind. Cacti can be quite prickly sometimes, you know...and so can Felipe. But he'll be darned if this one pointy issue will hold him back, so one day Felipe sets off on his own to find a friend and, just maybe, that long awaited hug.
Simona Ciraolo is a Sardinian born author and illustrator whose buoyantly witty and endearing tales recently won her the Sebastian Walker Award.
Ciraolo studied animation at the National Film School in Turin, Italy, before moving to the UK where she undertook an MA in Children's Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She has also worked as a freelance 2D animator for children's TV shows and illustrated five picture books for an independent Italian publisher.
Unwrapping more... (these are not from the book)
Read on and read always!
It's a wrap.
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