A thousand hugs from Daddy by Anna Pignataro

Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781760276973
(Age: 2-5) Highly recommended. Another beautifully illustrated book just in time for Father's Day A Thousand Hugs from Daddy is a gentle and warm tribute to the love between a father and his child:
In your arms it's safe and snug,
you always give a thousand hugs.

And I'm as happy as can be -
one hug is not enough for me!

The story starts with a loving polar bear and his little child crawling out of an igloo and beginning the day doing everything together. The love and care that Daddy shows will give any child reading this or listening to it, feelings of security and happiness. Daddy is always able to find the little bear when it is hiding and can help surmount any obstacle, all the while giving hugs for being brave and travelling far and wide. Then of course there is one very special hug for bedtime, making it an ideal book to read aloud when putting a child to bed.
The soft water colour palette used by Pignataro is beautiful and soothing. Often set against a pale blue background, with a tiny boat emblem repeated on it, the two bears merge beautifully into the snow, with just their caps and scarves helping to make them stand out. Young readers will enjoy looking carefully at the pictures, finding the little boat and talking about the happy and loving expressions on the bears' faces.
This is a celebration of the tenderness and devotion of a father for his child.
Pat Pledger