The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand
Author Audrey Penn
Illustrator Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
Country United States
Language English
Genre Children's literature
Publisher Child Welfare League of America
Publication date
 1993
Media type Print (hardback)
Pages 32 pp (first edition)
Followed by A Pocket Full of Kisses

The Kissing Hand is an American children's picture book written by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak. It features a mother raccoon comforting a child raccoon by kissing its paw. First published by the Child Welfare League of America in 1993, it has been used "to reassure children upset by separation anxiety."[1]

Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."[2] It was one of the "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.[3] It has been translated into at least five languages and has been followed by five sequels. 5657

Background

On a train ride in Wheaton, Maryland, Penn witnessed a ritual in which a mother raccoon placed its nose on a baby raccoon's paw, and then the baby raccoon placed its paw on its own face.[1][4] The park ranger said that the purpose of the ritual was to transfer scent from the mother to the baby so that the baby could recall the mother's scent by bringing its paw to its face.[1] Penn "started a similar ritual with her daughter — kissing her hand and telling her that whenever she was homesick, she could put her hand to her face."[1]

Penn wrote The Kissing Hand based on the raccoons' ritual. Penn read the book at VSA arts, and Jean Kennedy Smith wrote the book's foreword.[4]

Summary

Chester is a young raccoon who is nervous about going to school.[4] His mother kisses his center palm and tells him that "whenever you feel lonely and need a little loving from home, just press your hand to your cheek and think, 'Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.'"[4] Chester is comforted and goes to school.

Reception

In 1994 the book received a negative review in the School Library Journal, which considered it "marketing" for the Child Welfare League of America, with a "didactic story" and low-quality illustrations.[5] Nevertheless, in 1998 Scholastic Corporation published a paperback version which became one of its "biggest, most popular best sellers."[1]

The American Library Association recommended the book after the September 11 attacks of 2001.[1] In 2004, the United States Army purchased 14,000 copies of the book for soldiers stationed abroad to read on video and transmit the video to their families at home.[1]

It was ranked #49 in a 2007 online poll by the National Education Association of "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."[2] It was ranked #95 in a list of "Top 100 Picture Books" of all time in a 2012 poll by School Library Journal.[3][6]

Editions and translations

Sequels

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blais, Jacqueline (September 29, 2004). "Army reaches out to 'Kissing Hand'". USA Today. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  2. 1 2 National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  3. 1 2 Bird, Elizabeth (July 6, 2012). "Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results". School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Hinds, Mary Hancock (July 18, 1994). "Nature gives a `Hand'". Washington Times.
  5. ↑ Rees, JoAnn (August 1994). "Penn, Audrey. The Kissing Hand (review)". School Library Journal. 40 (8): 142.
  6. ↑ Bird, Elizabeth (May 16, 2012). "Top 100 Picture Books #95: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn". School Library Journal "A Fuse #8 Production" blog. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
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