Review Detail

OLLIE'S HUG is a sweet board book about friendship and bad moods. Ollie is in a bad mood and his friends want to help. They offer their favorite boots, ball, snack, and more, but none of it helps - until Gossie says she knows what he needs. It turns out a hug was the thing Ollie needed.

What I loved: This board book uses simple phrases, characters readers of Ollie books can recognize, and light, character-focused illustrations to convey a story of dealing with a bad mood. This format will work well for older infants and young toddlers, who may be facing their own moments of upset. Within the offers for Ollie are some other good things to consider for a bad mood for this age group, such as needing a snack or distraction with exploring with friends or doing something quiet like reading. The simple text is easy to read with the friends on the left side and Ollie on the right to aid in the back-and-forth and character differentiation.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, while hugs can be sweet as well as offering other things to help others feel happy, I think it would have also been helpful to offer to talk about, naming the feeling.

Final verdict: Overall, OLLIE'S HUG is a simple and adorable story about friendship. With simple illustrations and text as well as recognizable characters, this is a sweet read for little ones.