GooGooGallery: The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand
By Audrey Penn
Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
1994

This month’s Barnes and Noble Online Story Time features The Kissing Hand, narrated by author Audrey Penn.(Check it out here.)In this story little Chester Raccoon is getting ready to start school for the first time, but he is bit anxious to leave his home. Chester’s Mother lets him in on a little secret, a secret that has been passed down from her mother and grandmother, that will make his nights away at school feel just as cozy as his days at home. Behold the Kissing Hand. She takes his paw in hers, fans out his tiny fingers and leaves a kiss right in the middle of his palm. She goes on to tell him that whenever he feels lonely all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek and remember, “Mommy loves you. Mommy loves you.” And that the kiss will fill him with toasty warm thoughts. Ironically after Chester gets comfortable leaving for school, he gives his mother a kiss on her hand.

This story is a great way of letting your child know that your love will always be with them no matter what and is the perfect book for any little one about to head off to preschool or daycare for the first time. Plus the book comes with little heart stickers so you can make a kissing hand of your very own and if your craving some raccoon and hearts fun: