An Affectionate Answer

There will be days when a book makes its way into your reading life at the best possible moment.  Your heart is heavy and reading its story takes the weight away for just the right amount of time to allow you to step back.  The narrative strikes a chord in your mind.  You know you won't forget this book.

Mothers are a clever, strong, incredible group of human beings.  I know this because of my mother.  I know this because of all the mothers' children who have entered my libraries over the years.  I know this because of their willingness to speak out for what is right for today and tomorrow.  Hug It Out! (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, January 3, 2017) a debut picture book, written and illustrated by Louis Thomas, will have readers nodding knowingly and grinning from ear to ear because they can see themselves in this story.

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon.  Woody and Annie were playing inside.

Their imaginations were in high gear as the one designed an airport and the other constructed a community.  All was well until they both wanted the same thing, a toy car.  What's an airport or a town without vehicles?  Quickly yells to mom were heard.

When admonished to share, the siblings pinkie-promised their mother they would take turns using the car.  Seconds later the name calling began and then shouts to Mom joined the chorus.  Woody and Annie had to apologize for the name calling.  Before two heartbeats passed the kicking commenced.

Mom stormed into the room declaring there was to be no more fighting...at all.  In fact every time she so much as heard a whispered discord, they would have to

"...HUG IT OUT."

Wait a minute.  Hug it out?  Yikes!  Needless to say, this was not appreciated by the sister and brother.  They even had to practice before their mom left the room.  It was disgusting to them.

If you think they decided to play nicely after this declared new rule, you would be wrong.  Shouts of

"Hug it out!"

rang through the house repeatedly.  Finally Annie turned to Woody with a revelation.  Woody turned to Annie with an equally funny observation.  Several mutual agreements were reached.  It's a win for all.


With a clear knowledge of the lingo used by siblings, Louis Thomas has penned a story of truth, ingenuity and acceptance.  The combination of narrative and dialogue is guaranteed to make readers and listeners laugh out loud.  In true storytelling fashion there are three conflicts leading to the shocking proclamation by Mom.  Here is a sample passage.

"You kids need to apologize to each other," their mother said.
"I'm sorry," mumbled Annie.
"Me too," whispered Woody.
"You're not a dumb-dumb."
"And you're not a ding-dong.  Well, not a big one, anyway."
"Okay," said their mother.  "Good enough." 


You would never know what happens inside the covers of this book from the front of the matching dust jacket and book case.  We are seeing the results of one clever mom.  But if you look closely at the toys scattered about Annie and Woody, you get a hint of the events previous to this charming conclusion.  To the left on the back, the family cat is hugging an unlikely animal pal.  This small image is placed on a canvas of red; the same color as Woody's shirt.  The characters and text are varnished.  The opening and closing endpapers are sky blue.  On the title page the words are framed in flowers.  A teeny tiny being is sitting on the T in Thomas.  It is a very wise teeny tiny being.  Above the publication information is the family cat looking very startled.  On the dedication page the toy car which starts the day of squabbling is featured.

There is much to look at in each illustration rendered by Louis Thomas.  On the first page as the children play quietly, the cat is stretched sleeping next to the toy car.  Careful readers will see a teeny tiny visitor peeking from among the books on the shelf.  This creature and the cat have a separate story for readers to follow.

It's the wide eyes on all the characters and the exaggerated movements of the cat which will generate lots of giggles and grins.  Thomas alters his perspective during moments of heightened wildness on the part of the siblings.  The wordless double-page picture when Annie and Woody hear their mother's new rule is totally hilarious.  Fluid fine lines and brush strokes supply a feeling of realism.

One of my favorite illustrations of many is when the children's mother first comes to break up their argument about the car.  She is calmly kneeling in front of them on the right as they stand next to each other on the left, pinkie fingers entwined.  Between them is the toy car on the floor.  Unknown to the characters the cat is stretching out a long arm and paw to snag the car.


This is one book which is going to be enjoyed by all who read it or hear it.  I can already predict the calls of Hug It Out! in classrooms and homes.  Louis Thomas in his debut picture book is spot-on with sibling quarreling and a resolution worth shouting out loud as often as necessary.  I would pair this with Hug Machine written and illustrated by Scott Campbell and The Runaway Hug by Nick Bland with illustrations by Freya Blackwood.

To learn more about Louis Thomas and view his other work please follow the link attached to his name to access his blog.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  There is an activity kit and a dedicated website for this title.

To Seek At Sea

You know you are fully immersed in the world of children's literature when you hear the word bears and don't think of those immense mammals who roam our planet.  When I hear the word bears, I think of Boris and Stella and the Perfect Gift, Baby Bear Counts One, You Will Be My Friend, The Bear's Song, The Sniffles for Bear, Bear Has A Story To Tell, Polar Bear Morning, Bear and Bee, Bear's Loose Tooth, Otto the Book Bear, or Tea Party Rules.  Likewise when most readers hear the words three bears, they immediately think of Goldilocks and her encounter with Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear.

A ferocious wind has been howling all day, along and inland from Lake Michigan.  The very last thing anyone would expect to see riding these six foot waves is a boat sailed by three bears. Written and illustrated by David Soman, co-creator of the Ladybug Girl series, Three Bears in a Boat (Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC) is an unforeseen adventure taken to right a wrong.  

Once there were three bears, Dash, Charlie, and Theo, who lived by the sea.

In doing something they shouldn't have been doing when their mother is away, one of her priced possessions is broken.  Worried about her reaction, they leave the house hiding by their boat on the beach.  Now Dash has an idea which Charlie and Theo think is pretty good.  They need to find another blue shell to replace the one now in pieces.  Their mother will never know what they have done.   

In mere minutes they have set sail, noticing other bears in other boats.  Surely one of them will know where to find another blue shell.  Unfortunately neither the bears in the first, second or third boat seem able to help.  It's an older bear, a bear that has spent many days upon the sea, who points them in the right direction.  Off they go to look for 

an island shaped like a lumpy hat.

He also gives them a final piece of advice which proves to be more valuable than the trio initially knows.

They sail and sail and sail past all kinds of places, friendly and not so friendly, until they do not see anything familiar.  As soon as they discover the island they begin their search.  Do you think they find the shell? 

Back at the boat accusations begin escalating into a full-blown growly bear quarrel.  In focusing on fighting rather than navigating homeward, a huge storm catches them by surprise.  Interestingly enough a shift in attitude triggers another change.  They are in for more than one surprise upon their arrival at their very own beach.

A tale of discovery spun in the time-honored storytelling tradition is exactly what David Soman has given his readers.  It's certainly a quest seeking an answer to a problem.  Three times they ask but do not find; an important number in spinning a story.  Even when given directions by the older mentor figure they fail until fear unites them; giving them perspective and new purpose.

Soman employs witty descriptions, causing readers to nod their heads in agreement.  We feel an attachment to the characters.  Beautiful language brings us into their time and place.  Here are two passages.

Afraid of their mama, who, after all, was a bear, the three fled from their house down to the beach, and huddled behind their boat.

Their sail flew open like a wing, and the boat flashed across the water.

Though I have had more than one or two scares on a sailboat at sea, I would not hesitate for a second to set off on a journey with the three bears in their boat as pictured on the front and back of the matching dust jacket and book case.  As David Soman desired, you can sense the sights, sounds and feel of the wind and water in these first images. It's a picture filled with promise.  Done in shades of brown his front endpapers introduce readers to each bear framed by life ring with a lighthouse in the lower left hand corner.  The closing endpapers map their journey complete with a compass rose and an anchor as an additional element for balance

On the title page we are given a glimpse of events to come in mama's absence.  The first two page spread of the three bears at the beach is stunning and completely charming.  Each is wearing their favorite clothing; a scarf, a hat and a striped shirt.  One is flying a kite, the other using a hula hoop and the third is building a sand castle.  Throughout the book altering image sizes creates interest, enhances the narrative pacing and invites us to participate.

Soman gives a nod to other literary greats more than once in his attention to detail.  Additional elements add to the total effect.  The old sea captain is wearing an anchor tattoo and has a gold hoop earring in his ear.  When the bears are swimming underwater looking for the shell at the island, the octopus is glaring at one with hands on its hips.  

While a full color palette is used the emphasis on blues and greens creates a marvelous luminosity.  When their boat is lifted above the water by a pod of whales it's hard not to gasp in delight.  The two pages with this sentence

They sailed on farther than they had every gone before.  

are breathtaking as we gaze at the expanse of sea with the play of light on the water; their boat sitting in a tunnel of shimmering ripples.

David Soman has given readers a book to enjoy over and over for years to come.  Three Bears in a Boat is sure to be on many Mock Caldecott lists.  I know it will find a place on mine.  Share it one on one or with a group.  I don't think you will have to listen too closely to hear a collective sigh at the conclusion...or perhaps see a smile.  Enjoy David Soman's video.

My copies of this book were purchased from my favorite indie bookstore, McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, Michigan.  I hope you can get a copy from your favorite independent book store or your public library.