While We Can’t Hug

In While We Can’t Hug, a picture book by Eoin McLaughlin, best friends Hedgehog and Turtle are separated by more than their quills and shell. For unstated reasons, they aren’t allowed to touch. Owl wisely reassures them that there are many ways to show someone love and friendship. The friends experiment with different messages, blow kisses, exchange funny faces and letters, and share art, dancing, and music. Polly Dunbar’s gorgeously rendered ink and watercolour illustrations are charming and warm, making this a timely book for parents seeking hope and inspiration, especially for younger children, while facing the reality of a socially-distanced world.