Cuddle Close, Little Koala

by Danielle McLean, Sarah Ward (Illustrator)

Overview

A reassuring bedtime story about the special bond between a parent and child.

When Little Koala gets lost in the forest, the other mommies offer her cuddles, bedtime stories, and lullabies. But there's only one thing Little Koala wants... a hug from her mommy!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680101874
Publisher:	Tiger Tales.
Publication date:	03/20/2020
Pages:	24
Sales rank:	590,036
Product dimensions:	10.56(w) x 10.56(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Danielle McLean is a children's book editor who lives in South London, England. When she's not writing and editing children's books, she can be found in ballet class pursuing her other childhood dream.

Sarah Ward is an illustrator living in her hometown of Sheffield, England, with her husband, daughter, and "studio assistants" Alfie and Mabel, two border terriers. Sarah works from her home studio for clients all around the world while wearing silly slippers and drinking tea.

Editorial Reviews

2020-03-15
After a day of play with friends, it’s bedtime, but where is Little Koala’s mommy?

Lots of things seem familiar in the forest—is that flash of gray fur her mommy? No, it’s Mommy Wombat, who gives Little Koala a hug, but it’s not the same as Mommy Koala’s hugs. Is that a snatch of her mommy’s bedtime stories? No, it’s Mommy Platypus, who snuggles Little Koala close as she continues the story she was telling her babies. Similarly, the lullaby she hears isn’t her mommy’s; it’s Mommy Emu’s. And though kind in both action and in appearance on the page, these mothers aren’t her own. Suddenly, she hears a familiar voice calling her name: It’s Mommy Koala, and she has the “most perfect koala cuddle ever.” After hearing about all the ways the other mommies were like Little Koala’s mommy, readers may feel let down that Little Koala doesn’t get a story or a lullaby from her own mother. Still, it’s a mostly satisfying ending to an overall gentle look at being lost—indeed, Little Koala looks worried about her situation on only one spread, otherwise soaking in the love from the other Australian fauna. Readers who find themselves in similar situations will learn little from Little Koala’s experience other than to find another mother with children for help. The black type on increasingly dark backgrounds as night falls becomes difficult to discern.

Sweet but unsubstantial. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews