Kisses and cuddles

A small gray penguin shares the many things it loves in upbeat, efficient rhymes in this welcoming board book. On that list are banging on drums and playing superhero by jumping off the sofa onto pillows, "but what I love the most,/ what ends the day just right.../ are kisses and cuddles from mama,/ when we say goodnight!" Galloway's crisp digital illustrations set the action in a friendly polar landscape-the exterior of the penguin family's home is never seen, but it feels decidedly igloo-like, with an icy floor, semicircular windows, and cozy details like a woodstove and fish-shaped lamp. Ages 1-4. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A young penguin spends a day with mama. A little penguin has lots to love. The fluffy tyke loves eating pancakes and drinking hot chocolate, finding rainbows, and reading stories. But more than anything the chick loves the kisses and cuddles bestowed by mama, especially the ones that come right before bed. This board book works best as a stealthy bedtime book, recounting the small penguin's big day before wrapping up at bedtime, making a pillow and blanket mixed with goodnight kisses look like the best things in the world. The soft, round illustrations and increasingly warm color palette go a long way toward lulling even the most excitable little ones into a state of ease, making this an almost essential addition to the bedtime storybook stack. The book's cuddly nature is doubled by the choice to make its main character a penguin. After all, who doesn't want to hug a fluffy penguin? A sweet read that will lull many a reader into slumberland. (Board book. 1-3) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.