Product Description

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children's classic, The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children. Chester Raccoon has a baby brother--and the baby is a bit more than Chester had bargained for. "Please can we give him back?" he begs Mrs. Raccoon, to no avail. The last straw is when Chester sees his mother give his baby brother a kissing hand--his kissing hand, Chester thinks. His mother assuages his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know that he is deeply loved.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #876215 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-25
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1 - A sequel to Penn's The Kissing Hand (CWLA, 1993). A young raccoon pleads with his mother to "return" his baby brother due to typical sibling offenses. When Chester sees her give little Ronny a "Kissing Hand" (a kiss in the middle of his open palm), the waterworks begin. Of course, Mrs. Raccoon reassures her older son of his continuing importance to her, adding a bonus Kissing Hand for being a big brother. The animals' emotions are clearly expressed in the narrative. Gibson's crisp, realistic paintings are colorful and depict the scenery and activity of the meadow. Although this book is more appealing than the first work, standbys like Ann Herbert Scott's On Mother's Lap (Clarion, 1992) or Kady MacDonald Denton's Would They Love a Lion? (Larousse, 1998) are still better choices. - Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. The Kissing Hand (1995), though too sweet for many tastes, has developed such a following that many libraries cannot fill the demand each year before the start of school. This sequel is also quite sweet, but those who love the original may want to read the new story about Chester Raccoon. Now beyond his kindergarten separation anxiety, Chester has a new problem: dealing with his younger brother, who plays with his toys, pulls his tail, follows him around, and even shares his mother's gift of a "Kissing Hand" (Mom kisses Chester's palm, and Chester can transfer the kiss to his cheek whenever he needs comfort). Chester's mother reassures him that she will never run out of Kissing Hands. In fact, she has a spare for Chester to give his brother when he needs a big brother's care. Teeming with details, Gibson's paintings depict an idyllic woodland populated with friendly beasts, birds, and bugs that seem to pause and take an interest in the raccoons' conversations. The focus of the artwork, as well as the story, is clearly on the loving mother-and-child relationship. Recommended for libraries in which the earlier book has a following. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Penn understands the powerful pull of old-fashioned sentiment." -- Publishers Weekly, June 26, 2004

"This heartwarming book is a perfect choice for families with a new sibling or to use in a day-care/pre-school setting." -- Watermarkbooks.com, June 15, 2004

Customer Reviews

A Sweet Tale
A very sweet story to help the often traumatic adjustment of a new baby or new family member into a household. Mother Raccoon explains that she has more than enough love to go around and that a mother's love is like the sun, even when we don't see it, it will never run out of light and its rays will never stop reaching out to them. His mother then reminds Chester of his new and special role as a big brother. Wonderful read!

A wonderful picturebook
Chester Raccoon has a problem. His younger brother Ronny plays on Chester's swings, talks to Chester's friends, and follows Chester wherever Chester goes. When Chester complains about all this, his mother explains with gentle understanding that Ronny is only doing what little brother do and gives Chester a reassuring kiss in the middle of his palm to assure him of his mother's love. The Chester sees Ronny also gets their mother a kiss on the hand. Chester is simply overwhelmed at the unfairness of it all and tears roll down his cheek. Mother Raccoon allays Chester's fears with her own special kind of wisdom and finds just the right way to let Chester know how deeply he is loved. Charmingly written by Audrey Penn and superbly illustrated by Barbara Leonard Gibson, A Pocket Full Of Kisses is a wonderful picturebook that deftly explores the feelings of young children when their families expand with siblings and they feel unsure of their new and changing rolls. Enthusiastically recommended!

A delightful story about raccoons and love.
As a book reviewer for Funseeker's Radio Network I come across a lot of delightful children's book, but this one has to be in the top ten. A mother raccoon has two cubs, with Chester being the older. His mother gives him a kiss in his hand, a "kissing hand" and he is delighted, until he sees her give one to his baby brother. His mother lets him know that he is loved just as much as his brother and that she has enough love for both of them. The illustrations by Barbara Leonard Gibson are some of the best I have seen and remind me of Harry, my own pet raccoon I had when I was younger. This book needs to be bought in pairs, one for the adult buying it and one or more for the children who will love the story and the message it gives.