The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.
The kissing hand is about a racoon who doesn't want to go to school. He wants to stay home with his mother and play with his toys and friends. His mother tells him to open his hand and she kisses it. Now when the racoon goes to school he can put is hand to his face and always remember that his mom loves him and he can feel the warmth of the kiss.
    I loved this book! It is a very loving and warm book. The pictures in the book are beautiful and really give detail to what is going on in the story. The pictures also make you feel what the little racoon is feeling, When he is sad you look at him and you kind of feel sad for him. It is a great story about the love between a parent and a children.
    This book would be great to read at the beginning of the school year. Students who may be feeling sad about leaving home will find this book comforting. It may also give them something to try with their parents (kissing hand) that will make them less sad when they come to school. Students up to third grade will enjoy reading this book. The love that the parent feels for their child is something that almost all children can relate to. If children aren't quite reading yet they can still look at the pictures and know what is going on. Emergent readers will enjoy looking at the pictures and telling the story in their own words. Students of either gender will love reading this book because it is something they can relate to. There are a few challenging words in this book so emergent readers may need help reading it. Other students can enjoy reading this book on their own. This book could also be used to talk about racoons and their sleeping patterns. The racoon goes to school at night instead of during the day so that would be a great topic to discuss with students during a racoon unit.