Charlene Chua was born in Singapore and moved to Canada in 2007. She worked as a web designer and web producer before refocusing her career as an illustrator. Chua is a respected illustrator of children’s books and also works with magazine publishers. Hug? is the first book that she both wrote and illustrated. Chua lives in Hamilton, Ontario.
Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)
Hug?
Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2020.
PZ7.1.C48 H84 2020
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
How many hugs is too many? This girl’s had enough! This humorous picture book explores compassion and the importance of setting boundaries.
After coughing up a hairball, a girl’s cat doesn’t feel well. So the girl offers to give her cat a hug, which makes the cat — and the girl — feel better. A dog notices and asks for a hug, too. Then some ducks come along asking for hugs. And a skunk . . . and a bear — and a porcupine! One animal after another comes asking the girl for a hug until she’s simply had enough. How much more of this can she take?
With spare text and wonderfully expressive illustrations, Charlene Chua has created a playful, funny picture book with an original premise. The story shows how important hugs can be to our happiness — even the most unlikely of creatures sometimes need one! — but that doesn’t mean they’re always welcome. The book is full of laugh-out-loud moments, most of which are found in illustrations that vividly portray the girl’s emotions as she grows more worn out with every encounter, encouraging visual literacy. Each spread also shows a hint of the animal that will appear next, building anticipation for what’s to come. There are character education connections here to compassion, tolerance and empathy, and a terrific opportunity for discussions about boundaries.
Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)
The Pink Pajamas: A Story About Love and Loss
Toronto: Simon & Schuster Canada, 2025.
forthcoming Aug. 2025
Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)
There are many ways of saying, “I love you.” For Ah Yi, it’s with her sewing machine, making extra soft, perfectly tailored pajamas for her niece. The little girl loves each pair, except the latest one which is pink, her least favorite color. She keeps a happy face on, but her aunt can always tell. She reassures the little girl there’s no need to worry—she’ll just make another pair.
But then Ah Yi gets too sick to use her sewing machine, so sick she has to go away to the hospital…and never comes home. Her niece doesn’t know what to make of the funeral customs until she finds her own special remembrance: wearing her pink pajamas, which were perfect all along.