Animal fathers give hugs that come in all shapes and sizes, and each one is filled with love. ( )

A cute Daddy-baby book full of daddy love. Each colorful page encourages conversation as the Daddy descriptions are written in bold, colorful letters. ( )

Daddy Hug takes your kids through a journey of the animal kingdom's diverse types of Dads. Simple adjectives and words introduce all types of Daddies and roll into the next animal adjective with the flow of a song. Probably best for kids under 4, but definitely not your average picture book, Daddies and their kids abound from page to page as they exemplify the adjectives used to describe them, whether it be the SCRUFFY daddy warthog strutting his muddy self with his young in tow, the SLIMY daddy snake coiling around his wiggling hatchlings, or the FLUFFY ostrich guarding his playing chicks.

Tim Warnes’ book takes a rhythmic journey of dads and their families doing what they do best in the wild, like splashing Ducks or chirping Otters. More importantly, it does this in a nurturing light culminating with what dads love to do best – giving big daddy hugs. Not to be a spoiler, but the last page is total gathering of all of nature’s dads, all hugging and cuddling their little ones.

Beyond the playful use of words, the book is a great expression of illustration by Jane Chapman (who also illustrated Bear Snores On). The art is soft, welcoming, colorful and beautifully rendered. Overall, Daddy Hug is a jungle bundle of fun... for reading to your little one. Review by Ryan LaLonde at Book Dads ( )