cover image Huggy Kissy

Huggy Kissy

Leslie Patricelli. Candlewick, $6.99 (24p) ISBN 978-0-7636-3246-5

A toddler with a single, springy curl (who appears in several other board books by Patricelli) welcomes affection from his parents and family members—and they joyfully accommo­date: “Mommy kisses all my toesies./ Daddy kisses on my tummy./ They both want to eat me up./ I’m so yummy, yummy!” Working in acrylic, Patricelli offers friendly, cartoonlike characters that show their love in individual ways, set against welcoming backgrounds in rosy pinks, reds, and blues. Readers ought to find all this kissing and hugging contagious. Ages 1–3. (Dec.)