Anna Banana, the lovable granny with the green hair, is back. Now that she has finally found a comfortable home to live in that has room for her animals and all her things, her grandson is coming for a visit. It has been a while since she has seen Joey, and she is really excited.
After they have spent most of the day together, she realizes something is wrong: Joey hasn’t given her any hugs or kisses! Why not?
It’s not that he doesn’t love her, but Joey has lost his hugs and kisses, and doesn’t know where to find them. “Anna Misses Hugs & Kisses,” a cute story about a granny’s relationship with her grandson, will help teach your little one about feelings. Does Granny Anna tell him he’s silly and insist on him giving her a hug and a kiss anyway? No. Does she get mad and sulk? No. She is concerned and offers to help him find them.
Anna and Joey search everywhere for his lost hugs and kisses until finally they are found. Were they hiding in the yard or underneath a bug? No. Joey is the one who figures out where they are.
The riddles in the back explore what makes someone feel loved, hurt, disappointed, happy, angry, scared, sad, jealous, proud, sorry, or tired. The riddles only cite one example of what would make a person have each of these feelings. This would be a good time to ask your child what else would make them feel this way.
Besides showing what is happening, the illustrations show the joy in Anna’s and Joey’s faces when they see each other again. These pictures bring the story to life.
Note: If your child is learning to read, misspellings that have stubbornly remained after authors, proofreaders, and editors have looked over the manuscript time and time again can be used to their advantage.
The very first copies of this book had one misspelling in them (it has since been corrected). If you have one of the very first copies, use it to your child’s benefit. Learning to read also includes being able to spot misspellings. Make it a game to find the word that is misspelled and correct it.
If you would like to buy a copy of this book to read to your child, I’ve provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon Link: Anna Banana: Anna Misses Hugs & Kisses
Recommended Article: Anna Banana – a Review
Favorite Sentence:
But Joey explained, so it would be clear,
“The hugs and kisses simply aren’t here.”
About the Author:
Sigal Adler is a children’s author with a refreshing, rhythmic writing style. The combination of catchy rhymes spiced with humor and an ethical message appeals to the hearts of children.
