Antoinette Martin believed herself to be a healthy and sturdy woman—that is, until she received a Stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis. Cancer is scary enough for the brave, but for a wimp like Martin, it was downright terrifying. Martin had to swallow waves of nausea at the thought of her body being poisoned, and frequently fainted during blood draws and infusions. To add to her terror, cancer suddenly seemed to be all around her. In the months following her diagnosis, a colleague succumbed to cancer, and five of her friends were also diagnosed. Though tempted, Martin knew she could not hide in bed for ten months. She had a devoted husband, daughters, and a tribe of friends and relations. Along with work responsibilities, there were graduations, anniversaries, and roller derby bouts to attend, not to mention a house to sell and a summer of beach-bumming to enjoy. In order to harness support without scaring herself or anyone else, she journaled her experiences and began to e-mail the people who loved her—the people she called My Everyone. She kept them informed and reminded all to 'hug everyone you know' at every opportunity. Reading the responses became her calming strategy. Ultimately, with the help of her community, Martin found the courage within herself to face cancer with perseverance and humor.

The bestselling and heart-warming picture book that shows us ways to be affectionate while social distancing, from the team behind The Hug.Hedgehog and Tortoise were the best of friends. They wanted to give each other a great, big hug. But they weren't allowed to touch. "Don't worry," said Owl. "There are lots of ways to show someone you love them." So the two friends wave to each other, blow kisses, sing songs, dance around and write letters. And even though they can't hug and they can't touch, they both know that they are loved. A gorgeous, uplifting, inspiring picture book that makes social distancing fun!

The reader is invited to consider some things about when, who, and how to hug and also advised to be prepared to receive one in return.

An instantly appealing novelty heart-shaped book with an obvious 'I love you' message

There once was a slug, / needing someone to hug. When Slug happens upon a lonely beetle, he knows just what to do. He gives him a big hug—and then the two friends decide to pass it along. They meet Mouse, who's down in the dumps, Skunk, who's a bit smelly, and more and more animals, until their group hug stretches wide and tall. But when Bear comes along, will there be enough hug to share? This delightful picture book encourages kindness and goes to show "that a hugger finds happiness 'longside the hugged!"

IRISH BOOK AWARDS' CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 Nothing warms us up quite like a hug, but what can we do when we can't be together? This is the story of a new hug's adventure and the boy who shared it with the world. Adam King stole the hearts of the nation when he introduced us to his Virtual Hug, a heart-shaped sign he carried during the COVID-19 pandemic to help him stay connected to his teacher while he was learning from home. He also took it to his regular hospital appointments to show his doctors, nurses, and care staff that he was still giving them a hug, just in a different way. This picture book, inspired by true events, tells the story of one little boy with a big idea that came straight from the heart. The virtual hug makes its way onto mugs, postage stamps and even all the way to outer space, spreading warmth and connection to people all over the world. _____________ 'A gorgeous, moving book' Irish Times 'A genuine ray of light' 2FM Breakfast

Elvis the Hedgehog wants a hug, but no one will give him one because he is so prickly.