Hugging Hour!

Poor Drool (formally known as Drew) has been orphaned—which is her dramatic way of saying that she’s having her first sleepover at Grandma’s. Of course, her situation is hardly Dickensian: Grandma, who has a wedding-cake beehive that would give Marge Simpson a run for her hairdressing money, is an ace chef and knitter, and she doesn’t mind a bit when Drool throws marzipan cake at the ceiling or decorates the breakfast table with double-caramel-sauce polka dots (“just like my dress”). Drool also has the constant, adoring companionship of Kip, the vividly imagined, overalls-wearing “house chicken.” Her separation anxiety never entirely dissipates, but by the time Drool’s parents arrive for pick-up, she’s already planning the next visit. In her authorial debut, Leijten’s storytelling could use some pruning—the book feels about four pages too long—but the watercolor and pencil pictures evince a firm hand on the glee throttle (despite the sappy title), and readers should find themselves caught up in the characters’ loopy worldview and comic earnestness. Ages 3–5. (Jan.)