Book description
A picture book about a group of underwater friends who learn to ask for permission before showing their prickly, pufferfish pal some love.
So, you want to hug a pufferfish...
Who could blame you? That friendly, gap-toothed grin is hard to resist! Only, when Pufferfish is hugged or touched unexpectedly…
Why read it?
1 author picked How to Hug a Pufferfish as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Author-illustrator Ellie Peterson’s recently published book How to Hug a Pufferfish is much needed in today’s world. It’s a story not only about giving hugs, but also about asking permission to give a hug. In an engaging and fun way with cartoonish illustrations, Peterson uses the prickly pufferfish to humorously show that not everyone wants to receive a hug all the time. If you’re a pufferfish, you need to be asked. It’s a book about consent for the youngest readers, presented in the sweetest age-appropriate way you can imagine. I will definitely be reading this at my story time, and…
From Sandra's list on children’s books about hugs.
If you love How to Hug a Pufferfish...
Ernő Rubik and His Magic Cube
This picture book biography of Ernő Rubik, creator of the Rubik’s Cube, reveals the obsession, imagination, and engineering process behind the creation of this fascinating and sometimes frustrating puzzle.
A solitary child, Ernő Rubik grew up in post-World War II Hungary, curious about puzzles, art, nature, and their underlying patterns…
Want books like How to Hug a Pufferfish?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 56 books like How to Hug a Pufferfish.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,304
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like How to Hug a Pufferfish, you might also like...
The City Sings Green & Other Poems About Welcoming Wildlife
A unique and artful blend of poetry, science, and activism, this picture book shows how city dwellers can intervene so that nature can work her magic.
In Oslo, Norway: citizens create a honeybee highway that stretches from one side of the city to the other, offering flowerpots, resting spots, bee…
Real Princesses Change the World
Real Princesses Change the World is an inspirational and diverse picture book that highlights 11 contemporary real-life princesses and four heirs apparent from around the world.
Have you heard of a STEM-aligned real-life princess who is an engineer and product developer? Or a princess who is a computer expert? An…
