IrishMa4's Full Review: Audrey Penn - A Pocket Full of Kisses
Having 5 children, a lot of books come into my home. Every week we go to the local thrift store to buy a book or two each. We also bring books to donate, because if we didn’t pass books along after reading we’d have no room for us in this house!
On one such trip my bonus daughter picked up A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn with illustrations by Barbara Leonard Gibson. I am relatively certain she got this one because she knows of my love of raccoons and wanted to share this book with me. She’s quite thoughtful.
A Pocket Full of Kisses is a paperback book about the size of a piece of copier paper. Thicker cover with normal pages inside. There are 28 pages to the story with a few left over pages for the information necessary to print and one last page with a picture on it.
Speaking of the pictures, Illustrator Barbara Leonard Gibson is amazing! The drawings are as close to life-like as possible, yet still remain somewhat cartoon-like. Very realistic drawings of a raccoon family, as well as other creatures in nature, with beautiful scenic backgrounds. My favorite page is … well I can’t pick just one. I like every page! This is a book that makes me talk like a moron and say “ooohhh so cute”, and other suck silly phrases I come up with when seeing anything to do with an animal!
If I’m ever lucky enough to find another copy of A Pocket Full of Kisses and my own room (office) that I don’t have to share with the kids and their toys, I would frame many of the pages and hang them on my wall. They are that cute and that good!
Chester Raccoon, the main character, starts off asking his mother if he is really really good could they give him back? Chester is talking about his new baby brother. I’m sure many parents have been asked that question over time. Chester has the typical complaints of an older sibling: he plays with my toys, bugs me, wants to be with me and my friends, etc.
The response Mrs. Raccoon gives is fabulous; ”That’s what little brothers do,” she explained in a very motherly tone. “It’s no different than sharing the woods, or sharing the stream, or sharing the food we find. Ronny wants to be just like you.”. She says this while holding Chester on her knee in a field of flowers with a black capped chickadee and a bunny watching them.
The next page she proceeds to say that Chester needs a ”Kissing Hand”. She spreads open his little paw and kisses him right in the middle of his hand. He then touches his hand to his cheek and hears her words in his head: "Mommy loves you”. How sweet is that? I swear I tear up every time I read it. I’m tearing up right now. Too precious and something I think I will always remember and try to do.
Chester thought this was the most wonderful thing too. That is until his mother did the same thing to Ronny, the brother he wants to give back.
Mrs. Raccoon explains that she didn’t give Ronny Chester’s kissing hand, she gave Ronny Ronny’s kissing hand! Each was special and unique and their very own.
The next few pages (and illustrations) tell the story of the sun and how its rays reach out and touch the stars every night. Mrs. Raccoon is telling this to Chester and Ronny as other animals look on. The squirrel you just want to reach out and hug he’s so cute. Pretty much all the animals make me feel that way.
I can not possibly think of a single bad thing to say about this book. It’s not too long or too short. It is just right.
As for age group targeted I would hazard a guess that it is the 4-6 year old age group. However in my house it’s the 5-40 year old age group as I love it, my youngest bonus son loves it and my 15 year old reads it from time to time as well because she loves it. Please don’t tell her I told you though, she has a reputation to uphold.
A Pocket Full of Kisses is an all-round feel good book. The story is charming, the illustrations enchanting, and the characters totally loveable. It should be a must have for every home. It is a perfect gift for any young child for any occasion. I like to give this book at Baby Showers as I feel it’s a beautiful story of the love a mother has for all of her children, no matter how many there are.
If you find this book, open it and read it. I hope you will find it as wonderful as I do.
In this tender sequel to the bestseller and children s classic The Kissing Hand, Penn provides a heartwarming story, perfect for families who are adju...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
General Juvenile / Children's Fiction - A tender sequel to the bestseller and children's classic The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides a heartwarming...More at Barnes and Noble
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