The Runaway Hug

Nick Bland (author)

Freya Blackwood (illustrator)

Scholastic, Australia: 2011

ISBN: 8671865044057

Genre: picture book

Issues: family, love

Lucy wants a hug before she goes to bed but Mummy only has one left and gives it to Lucy on the condition that she gets it back soon.

So Lucy shares the hug with her family – first her father, then the twins, baby sister Lily, and finally Annie, the dog. But Annie runs off without returning the hug and Lucy must get it back to return to her mother. Will she capture it before bedtime?

Freya Blackwood's gentle mixed media illustrations capture the chaos of a household full of children and love. A delightful story about the value of a good hug – and a loving family – The Runaway Hug will appeal to adults and children alike.