The Big Hug Book series is a collection of resource books focusing on social skills and emotional intelligence topics. Presented in picture book format, the books a gentle and age-appropriate explanation to help children navigate what can be very complicated and confusing social interactions and emotions.
The author, Shona Innes, is a qualified clinical and forensic psychologist. Her experience working with children facing challenging emotional and social situations has clearly motivated her to provide parents and teachers with these useful books as a resource for starting conversations.
The books all feature gorgeous illustrations by Irisz Agocs with various animals interacting and playing out the relationships and situations described in the text.
While each book features a specific topic, the content is kept very general. This ensures that the books are relevant to a wide range of personal situations and experiences within each area of focus. Each book concludes with a full page note to parents and teachers from Shona Innes, offering advice on how to best use the book as a resource to support and encourage children.
Ideal for preschool, kindergarten and infants classrooms, the Big Hug Books are also a useful addition to home bookshelves. Read our interview with Shona Innes on growing a happy child, page by page.
The current list of Big Hug Book titles, published by The Five Mile Press and available for $14.95 RRP, includes:
Life is like the Wind (9781760060558)
Friendship is like a Seesaw (9781760060565)
The Playground is like a Jungle (9781760064150, teachers' notes)
The Internet is like a Puddle (9781760064167)
Love is like a Tree (9781760066321)
A Family is like a Cake (9781760066314)
You are like You (9781760400729)
Worries are like Clouds (9781760400712)
