A hug shouldn't require an instruction manualbut some do.A porcupine can frighten even the largest animal. In this picture book, a bear and a deer, along with a small rabbit, each run away when they hear eight simple words and their name: "I need a hug. Will you cuddle me,?" As they flee, each utters a definitive refusal that rhymes with their name. The repetitive structure gives Blabey plenty of opportunities for humor, because every animal responds to the question with an outlandish, pop-eyed expression of panic. But the understated moments are even funnier. Each animal takes a moment to think over the request, and the drawings are nuanced enough that readers can see the creatures react with slowly building anxiety or, sometimes, a glassy stare. These silent reaction shots not only show exquisite comic timing, but they make the rhymes in the text feel pleasingly subtle by delaying the final line in each stanza. The story is a sort of fable about tolerance. It turns out that a porcupine can give a perfectly adequate hug when its quills are flat and relaxed, but no one stays around long enough to find out except for an animal that has its own experiences with intolerance: a snake. It's an apt, touching moral, but the climax may confuse some readers as they try to figure out the precise mechanics of the embrace.This is a tremendously moving story, but some people will be moved only on the second reading, after they've Googled "How to pet a porcupine." (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this very brief, simple, cozy-sweet addition to the full (but never full enough) shelf of hug-themed picture books, a porcupine's plaintive request sends a succession of animals fleeing in panic: I need a hug. Will you cuddle me, Lou? What? With those spikes? Get away from me! Shoo! Eventually, the animals who've all refused a hug come racing back not because they've changed their minds, but because a snake has asked them for a kiss. Coming face-to-face on a wordless spread, snake and porcupine exchange significant glances . . . and snuggle up together. To focus attention on the comically pop-eyed cartoon figures and the rhymed dialogue, which is set in bubbles and printed in informal fonts large enough to be visible halfway across a room, Blabey just adds hints of shadow to otherwise blank, monochrome backgrounds. Laurie Isop's How Do You Hug a Porcupine? (2011) goes on to consider issues involved in hugging several challenging creatures, and so makes a natural storytime segue.--John Peters Copyright 2019 Booklist

In his signature cartoon style, Blabey (Thelma the Unicorn) introduces a porcupine with an intimidating set of fanlike quills. Despite his pointy nature, the porcupine wants hugs: "I need a hug. Will you cuddle me, Lou?" the porcupine asks a gray bunny. "What? With those spikes? Get away from me! Shoo!" A moose named Ken has a similar reaction to the porcupine's request, and a brown bear named Joe is equally unnerved, leading the porcupine to a moment of dejection: "No one will hug me. That's not very kind." Blabey's illustrations of expressive animals, set against empty backgrounds, are the strength of this simple story, told entirely in dialogue, about finding connection and comfort with new friends. But physical affection plays an odd role here: the prickly protagonist depends on it for feelings of acceptance; the characters who refuse are considered "unkind." The potentially mixed messages about the legitimacy of boundaries and sources of self-esteem further weaken this already slight offering. Ages 3-5. (Dec.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.