Common Sense Media Review
Art fails to convey warmth of story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 2+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
How does a cub hug? "Cozy dozy, cozy dozy" is the answer. Every animal baby gets a hug and a silly sound, and, in no time, children will be trying out different animal hugs and chanting along. A good read-aloud story. Despite the mismatched artwork, it's bound to become a popular request.
Is It Any Good?
Illustrator Michael Rex offers some visual humor, such as the daisies around the deer who hug "lazy daisy, lazy daisy." A nice twist at the end shows a child getting a good-night hug, with the same 12 stuffed animals on her bed as were discussed in the story.
But some of the animals' eyes are so round and big that they look like golf balls, and give the impression of permanent surprise. The animals, drawn in colored pencil, are simply placed on white backgrounds that don't add any warmth to the cozy tale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about hugging. Scoop up some favorite stuffed animals and share hugs with them. Why do hugs make people feel better?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Michael Rex
- Genre : Picture Book
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Harcourt Brace
- Publication date : April 1, 2000
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Last updated : July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate