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Phillis Gershator





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Time for a Hug
 T I M E for a H U G

  by Phillis Gershator
  and Mim Green

  illustrated by David Walker

  Sterling, 2012
(Now Union Square & Co.)

*Celebrate National Hug Day in January
*
Scholastic Honeybee Book Club Selection, February 2012
*   Board book & paperback editions
* 2 X 2 Reading List, Texas, 2013
* Japanese edition (First prize, 2013
Libro bookstore’s picture book competition):


Time for a
                                    Hug-JapanHUG - Japan
  *  Korean edition:

Time for a
                                                        Hug-KoreaHug-Korea
*   Chinese edition:

Time for a
                                                hug-Chinese
*   Sequels:  T I M E  for  a  B A T H
 
*   Gift set: mini-board book with lovey blankie, 2015
gift package

From the book jacket:

Whether it's twelve o'clock or eight...
No matter what kind of weather...
Even if you're a busy, busy bunny...
It's always
T I M E for a H U G!

A little about the book:

My mom co-authored Time for a Hug
. As her friends and family know, she was a champion hugger. She believed in hugging as a true expression of love and comfort and a great cure all. I miss her hugs.

We worked on variations of the story together before Mim passed in 2007. A couple of years later I signed up with a literary agent who sent our manuscript to editor Allison Brydon. Artist
David Walker created the cutest bunnies ever, and a book was born! 

It would be fun to think up MORE non-electronic activities a child might engage in during the day––helping, exploring, creating, daydreaming...all without being over stimulated or over scheduled. And it doesn't take much. Cardboard boxes, pots and pans, chairs and sheets––those "toys" are perennial. They can become houses, musical instruments, hide-outs....
Beth, at her site The Angel Forever, suggested some lovely craft ideas associated with "a hug around the clock." 


From the reviews:

"Despite the non-stop tick tock of the clock on a busy day, a young bunny discovers that anytime is the right time for a hug.
Warm and reassuring! A perfect rhyming story to remind preschoolers that the love of someone dear is only a hug away. Counting and time appropriate activities are also introduced. The artwork is cheerful and bright and the characters are adorable."  (12/16/2011) ♥♥♥♥ --Picture Book Reviews,
plus e-mail interview with reviewer Teresa Mongelli ––"Honest reviews to help you choose."

“This book is ADORABLE!! From 8 am until 8 pm we follow Little Bunny and Big Bunny throughout their day while they do all the things parents and children do together...peppered with lots of hugs in between. From getting dressed in the morning to playing blocks and ball in the afternoon and a bath at night, the authors cover all the fun to be had throughout the day while always reminding parents and children alike that it is always a good time for a hug. The illustrations (done by the very talented David Walker) are the perfect accompaniment to the story. They are soft and sweet and expressive. There are so many things I enjoy about Time for a Hug. First I loved the illustrations. Second, I really enjoyed how the authors demonstrated times with their activities throughout the day in a way easy for little ones to relate to. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, I especially love the message within the pages...hug your little ones often.” Reviewed by mom

"Gershator (Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, Have You Any Milk, 2011), in collaboration with her mother, offers this sweet, brief rhyming tale celebrating hugs at any hour of the day. Two bunnies...wake up at 8:00 to begin a day chock-full of activities that preschoolers will recognize....all portrayed in Walker’s softly colored full-page and double-page spreads or vignettes. As time passes, young readers will enjoy looking for the clock ticking off each hour until bedtime.... The pleasingly predictable rhyme will have preschoolers chiming in all the way to the page where the covers are pulled up." Kirkus Reviews on-line.

"As the bunnies hug, a green clock reads nine, and it’s time for another hug at 10 o’clock, too (the clock reflects the hour’s passing). As the day progresses (with additional clocks marking the time), the bunnies play indoors and outdoors, eventually preparing for bed when the clock reads eight. Walker’s smudgy, cozy paintings convey the bond between child and guardian, while Gershator and Green explore the concept of time and emphasize the comfort of a daily routine." Publishers Weekly.

"The little bunny in Time for a Hug is one well-loved little guy. After the intro, above, he gets another hug at 9:00 and then 10:00. He and his mother bake a pie, make sock puppets, build with blocks, read and snuggle, then hug some more.
Time for a Hug is a lovely, upbeat book for preschoolers with cheerful illustrations. As a small child, many of my favorite books had catchy rhymes and happy themes; and, they were always the first I'd reach for to read to my own small children, particularly when I was tired. A happy book with a nice rhythm is always a pleasure to read. Time for a Hug is one of those books I can imagine a small child adoring and it's certainly a great book to snuggle up and read (plus, a good excuse for lots of hugging).
Highly recommended for parents and grandparents of small children." Bookfoolery

"This is a book that is generous with love, and full of the sweetest illustrations you've ever seen.... The premise of the story is to let both parents and children know that it doesn't matter what time of day or what are you doing, that you can always stop and give and receive a hug. What a great thing to share with your child. I received this book last week, and have read it to my daughter, Savannah, several times. Each time the book talks about giving a hug, I grab her close and give her a big bear hug, and then she hugs me back. I am cherishing these little moments with her, as I know when she gets older, she will go through a phase where she will not want to give or receive a hug. But, in the meantime, we will hug any time of day, thanks to the help of Time for a Hug. And, when we are not hugging, we will enjoy the beautiful and whimsical illustrations that make up this wonderful book, while also learning about numbers and telling time.
So, why not use Valentine's Day as an excuse to give your little ones a few extra hugs today, while snuggling up the couch or in bed with them. This will be a great book to add to your bedtime collection. It has definitely made its way into our must-read bedtime books." Inspired by Savannah.

Phillis Gershator and Mim Green’s Time for a Hug (Sterling, ages 1-3) is newly available in board book. The rhyming verses follow a small bunny through a hug-rich day.
'Wake up! Wake up! The day is new. The clock says eight. What shall we do?' After morning rituals of washing, combing hair, choosing clothes, and eating breakfast comes the question that becomes a refrain throughout the book: 'What time is it?' And the answer? 'Time for a hug! A hug feels good. Let’s hug again. We’ll hug at nine. We’ll hug at ten.' David Walker’s illustrations show the pleasure and warmth in every single embrace (and there are many) exchanged throughout the busy day.

Stylistically and structurally this small book is written like a big hug. There is reassurance in the comforting cadences and refrains. That hug-like feeling is also apparent in authors’ depiction of the reliable rhythms of time as the small bunny shows you can count on the fact that every busy day is filled with active routines that gradually slow to calm when evening comes and there’s one last giant hug." ––Igniting Writing

"Big Bunny and Little Bunny enjoy their busy day from sun-up to sun-down, but find the time to hug every hour of the day." 2 X 2 Reading List Selection of the Children's Round Table, Texas Library Association.

Check out Rachel Likes To Read #4 for her review: FUN!
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=aaplw&p=Time+for+a+hug+gershator+you+tube

Maddie Love, lively young book reviewer, reviews TIME FOR A HUG, too. Enjoy!   http://bit.ly/NickTalesHugs