Don’t Hug Doug!

Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It), written by Carrie Finison and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman, is intended for children 3-7 years. It is about a normal boy named Doug who just does not like to be hugged, but is good with high-fives. Through humor, it discusses body autonomy and consent.

As you might expect, it encourages asking about touching and entering other’s personal spaces. Comfort bubbles are an important lesson in today’s world to learn, especially for young children learning (or relearn thanks to COVID) how to engage with peers in a socially and personally acceptable manner. The humor helps ingrain it into kids’ minds while also providing parents with an easy and discreet way to remind their children without embarrassment.

Familiar Art for Parents

The art style will look quite familiar to those who have seen The World Needs More Purple People, as as they share an illustrator, so if you liked that book this one is a good one too. The art style and direction mesh well with the target audience and subject matter. It also encourages the humor without drawing too much focus away from the serious lesson being taught.

I would highly encourage this for children of all ages, especially those up to 10 years old. For a rating, I give the book a 9/10.