Review by Booklist Review
Artie has received kudos for her great hugs, and she would like to embrace her grandma Gertie, but they live far apart. The two are able to communicate by phone and with video calls, but those alone are not satisfying enough. So Artie devises another way to show her love from afar: accompanied by her ever-present white duck, she gathers art supplies and writes a snail-mail letter with plenty of artistic embellishments. Artie explains to readers the several ways one can mail a letter and what happens when it arrives at the post office. After being sorted, the missive travels to its final destination by a variety of methods, including train, plane, boat, or truck. John Rocco's charming signature illustrations, created with pencil, watercolor, and digital assistance, reveal the child anxiously waiting for a letter in response to hers, and the pleasure she has in opening Grandma's correspondence, which includes a fragrant surprise. A moving double--page spread showcases letters from distant loved ones and the individuals and families to whom they are addressed. Here is a delightful tribute to "old-fashioned" letter writing that may inspire youngsters to try their hand at creating a work of art that can be read and reread often.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Married collaborators the Roccos introduce a young, white-presenting narrator with a long ponytail and chronically untied sneakers, portrayed with a white duck whose moods and movements beguilingly mimic the child's. "I love hugs," the protagonist declares, but points out that they're hard to give to far-off loved ones. It's possible to talk to Grandma Gertie on the phone or on the computer, for example, but it's not the same as an embrace. Instead, the child suggests, a hug can be sent. A marker, a sheet of paper, perhaps paints, and a "hug" emerges in letter form. Mixed-media artwork by John Rocco (Hurricane) supplies visual explanations for the extended hug metaphor written in text by debut author Hayley Rocco. To travel, the narrator explains, the hug needs a jacket (an envelope) and a ticket (a stamp). It will be picked up by a Hug Delivery Specialist (a mail carrier) and taken to a building "where all the hugs are sorted" before it arrives to give joy--and perhaps inspire a return "hug." Building to a group image of variously diverse characters reading letters, it's a sweet-tempered approach to an everyday show of affection. Ages 4--8. Agent (for author and illustrator): Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative. (Nov.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Hugs are for everyone anytime they need a little extra love, but how can you hug a person who lives far away? Talking on the phone or via computer isn't enough, but luckily Artie shares a way to send a hug--by writing a letter. Infused with the love a hug carries, these step-by-step instructions begin with finding the right writing implement and paper and taking plenty of time for this important task. The story then follows the letter's journey from the mail drop through a variety of possible transports ("by two legs and four legs, by four wheels and two wheels") to the magic of delivery and the even greater joy of getting a reply. Readers as lucky as Artie will receive a return letter that carries the scent of its writer, like Grandma Gertie's missive, filled with rose petals. Fun wording, like putting the letter in a "special jacket to keep it safe and warm" (an envelope), sticking "a ticket" on the envelope "in just the right spot" (a stamp), and the letter being picked up by a "Hug Delivery Specialist" (postal worker), adds humor, as does Artie's ever present pet duck. Artie and Grandma Gertie present White; the postal workers and the other people depicted receiving letters throughout are racially and geographically diverse. The realistic illustrations in pencil, watercolor, and digital color expand the story and add a layer of love and humor. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A celebration of letters that gently gives young readers the knowledge and tools to share the love. (author's note) (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
