Great Day for a Hug

Mack (1960, the Netherlands) is a graphic designer and illustrator from The Netherlands. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. During his education, he made funny and educational cartoons about, among others, penguins and whales. These cartoons were later bought by the ‘Diergaarde Blijdorp’-zoo in Rotterdam. By now Mack is a regular illustrator at this animal park and he is the author of several children’s books, in which animals often are the lead characters. Mack has a primitive way of drawing. He gets inspired by African art and the paintings of the Australian aboriginals. Both create immense power by simplifying shapes. Mack wants to combine that powerful simplification with a subtle sense of humor. “In my books I try to teach children something in a funny way,” Mack says. “If I draw a penguin, it doesn’t matter to me that much how pretty he is or how good of a swimmer he is. What I want to show the most is how baggy he stands on the ice and how funny his walk is. That funny bagginess is what I try to catch in a couple of lines. Only when children can laugh about it, I think to myself: ‘Yes, I did it’.”

"Toddler-PreS–The farm is awake and ready to work, even little Chick, who is tiny but can dispense smiles, hugs, and kisses to the other animals, which makes everybody’s day better. The chick even helps a piglet get unstuck from the mud, though it’s not clear how. Then it’s into the pond for a bath with the mother and off to rest up for another day of hugging. VERDICT Solid outlines, flat colors, and uncluttered pages make this feel-good story accessible to the youngest lap sitters, who will no doubt want to give their reader a hug" - School Library Journal, Oct. 1, 2021"An inspirational story for young children who may feel like they're not able to help with a lot of chores or jobs around the house. Very simple and bright colored illustrations focus more on the characters than the setting. The story centers on the feeling created by sharing hugs with one another as a way to help or brighten someone's day. A nice choice for young children who love animals! " - Birchard Public Library of Sandusky County"Extremely cute book. Chick is adorable, I'm sure that all children who read will like it and be inspired by it to be more affectionate and kind. I loved reading and recommend it." - Companhia das letras"The illustrations are cute, crisp, and simple and I really think that kids will love this little book!" - Lubbock Public Library