Is this a sweet picture book about parents cuddling their babies, or is it math? Great question! How Many Hugs? by Heather Swain, illustrated by Steven Henry and published by Feiwel and Friends, is both—a delightful blend of heartwarming moments and playful math concepts.
The book poses a clever question: If it takes two arms to give a hug, how many hugs can an octopus give? Four! Along the way, my kids were introduced to fascinating animals, like bivalves and crustaceans, while picking up math ideas like fractions and division. It’s as deep as you want to take it, which is part of the magic.
The illustrations are what initially drew me in, but I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle complexity of the math woven into the story. As someone who has always loved math (yes, I’m that person!), I’m constantly on the lookout for fun ways to introduce it to my kids and see if they’ll fall for it like I did. Fun fact: My husband and I met in an honors math class—so you could say we’re building a legacy of math love over here!
To make the story even more interactive, I pulled out our circle fraction puzzles to help explain the concepts. For example, “See these two halves? Two arms make one hug.” When my little one was three, it was a lot to think about, but he also adored the simple, sweet message: parents of all kinds loving their babies. And, of course, he enjoyed the silliness of animals with lots and lots of arms, giving lots and lots of hugs.
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Recommended Ages: 2-8
Themes: Math, Family, Animals
