“If you’re grumpy or sad, frustrated or mad, just give a shout, and hug it out.”

With the healing power of a hug and an act of kindness, little Hugga Loula diffuses all sorts of situations. Featuring colorful illustrations and charming refrain, Hugga Loula gives us an adorable hero offering care, comfort, and love to a world that desperately needs all three. 

"A sweet, poignant read about the power of hugs to help us remember what really matters in life: each other. Our world needs more Hugga Loulas!"
—Rochelle Groskreutz, children’s author

"Combining charming and smile-inspiring artwork with a powerful and much-needed message about how we respond to life’s travails, Hugga Loula, by Nancy Dearborn, offers an antidote to the anger and impatience that sometimes characterize our lives. While the message of kindness and gentleness in the face of life’s stresses is one that Loula’s family certainly already knows, they—like all of us—benefit from Loula’s caring reminder. In a world that often tempts us to lose control and faith, Hugga Loula is the right lesson."
—Rod Vick, author of Kaylee’s Choice and Wisconsin Teacher of the Year 2000


"I believe little children—every day—have the power to make big differences in their world. The main character in Nancy Dearborn’s picture book Hugga Loula demonstrates that power. The book employs an effective use of repetition to drive its message home. And the message is a good one: 'hug it out.'Simple. Powerful. With illustrations and a rhyming refrain that perfectly capture the mood of the book, Hugga Loula will appeal to young readers looking for a way to help make the world a better place. Because of this book, the world is a better place."
-Michael Leannah, award-winning children's author