The Kissing Hand [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

by Audrey Penn (Author)
Key Phrases: Kissing Hand

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand, published by the Child Welfare League of America, is just the right book for any child taking that fledgling plunge into preschool--or for any youngster who is temporarily separated from home or loved ones. The rough but endearing raccoon illustrations are as satisfying and soothing for anxious children as the simple story. (Ages 5 and older) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly
In her foreword to Penn's sugary tale about Chester, a young raccoon who would rather stay at home than go to school, Jean Kennedy Smith notes that the story is "for any child who confronts a difficult situation, and for the child within each of us who sometimes needs reassurance." Its obvious message is delivered by Mrs. Raccoon, who tells her son that "I know a wonderful secret that will make your nights at school seem as warm and cozy as your days at home." She then kisses his palm, and Chester feels the kiss "rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he gets lonely, she advises, he is to press his hand to his cheek and "that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts." As it may for youngsters in comparable situations, this "secret" works for Chester, who in turn kisses his mother's palm so that she, too, will be reassured. Sprinkled with hearts and flowers, Harper and Leak's paintings of the raccoons and their woodland habitat are pleasant if sentimental. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Child & Family Press; 1 edition (June 25, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878685855
• ISBN-13: 978-0878685851
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #33,803 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #22 in	Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mammals > Fiction
  #72 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > New Experiences
  #76 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > New Experiences

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of The Kissing Hand, July 10, 2000

By	Laura Green (Ripley, MS) - See all my reviews

Chester Racoon and his mother prepare for Chester's first "night" at school. He is a little apprehensive, and, of course, he wants to stay home with his mom. Mrs. Racoon shares a secret with Chester called the Kissing Hand. She kisses Chester's palm and tells him to put it to his cheek when he begins to feel lonely at school. This book makes a great gift for a child entering school or going to camp for the first time, or for any occasion where a child will be temporarily separated from home and loved ones. It can also be used to help a child through the death of a parent or special loved one, and for children placed in foster families and residential facilities. For teachers, this book would be super to read the first day of school. It could also lead up to wonderful science, social studies, and reading/writing activities.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A timeless story of a mother's love for her children, October 14, 1999

By A Customer

My kindergarten son brought this home from school. I think it's one of the sweetest books I have ever read. I read it to my teenagers and the senior in high school began to cry. I am sending it to my college daughter for her birthday, as it will be the first time in her life we are separated on her birthday. A must for every family who has a college-bound child as well as any time of separation.

50 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for all Pre-Schoolers, February 22, 2001

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Poor little Chester, the racoon, it's time for him to go off to school and he doesn't want to leave his mother. Mother knows that Chester will love school once he gets there. There'll be new friends to meet, new toys to play with, new books to read and even a new swing to swing on. So she tells him a special secret about the "kissing hand". She takes his little hand, spreads the fingers and places a kiss right in the middle of his palm. Now when he feels lonely and needs a little love from home, he can press his hand against his cheek and know his mother's love will be with him. And, before he scampers off to school, he gives his mother the kissing hand too, so that she won't miss him too much, while he's away..... Audrey Penn has written a sweet, endearing story to help little ones face those scary feelings on their first days of separation. Her gentle text is complimented by expressive, detailed illustrations and together will let youngsters know that they're not alone out there in the world. The Kissing Hand is the perfect bedtime story, pre-schoolers will want to read again and again and makes a wonderful addition to all home libraries.