Ollie’s Hug
by Olivier Dunrea; illus. by the author
Preschool    Clarion/HarperCollins    16 pp.    g
3/22    978-0-358-66393-5    $7.99

Gosling Ollie (Ollie the Stomper) is feeling out of sorts, and “Nothing feels right!” One by one, his friends kindly offer help. Does he want to wear Gertie’s boots or play with Peedie’s ball or go exploring with Gemma? Ollie patiently refuses each offering (“Ollie would rather stomp alone… / Ollie isn’t hungry”) until Gideon innocently suggests some quiet time. And with that, Ollie has reached his limit: “Ollie wants to be loud!” Dunrea’s spot-on illustration shows our frustrated gosling yelling, beak wide open. Cue Gossie, who now knows exactly what Ollie needs: a hug. Just right for toddler attention spans and well-aimed at little ones learning to identify emotions and get their needs met, this board book is a soothing story for trying times. Get your hugs here.

From the May/June 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.