A Hug So Tight product reviews

I was exposed when I was younger to sound levels so intense that I suffered permanent damage to my ears - something I have in common with many others who have been hearing compromised due to inadequate protection policies in the workplace. My own injuries were the result of being a duty teacher at school dances, where the amplifiers were turned up well above acceptable levels. I would often be stationed right beside them and the discomfort was so intense that on occasion my ears actually bled. I often wonder how many students were also affected. I am skilled at lipreading; there are instances, however, where this is not possible. Radio broadcasts can be challenging, phone conversations are often a real problem, and it is vital to sit near the speaker at a public meeting. But it is only now that I am discovering the extra empowerment that being able to sign provides. It does not help with the radio or the telephone, but in other situations it enables those who are hearing impaired to contribute fully in social situations.

For that reason, I welcome this book. Children can have deaf family members, or even be deaf themselves. It is never too early to learn to sign; children already use body language to convey what they want (pointing, holding out their arms to be lifted, etc) at a very young age. These gestures are frequently pre-verbal. Signing can be just as intuitive as the spoken word, and acquired just as naturally. "A Hug So Tight" introduces sign language to children as young as two or three; while the pictures are accessible to all, the story can be told either by reading the text or by signing the story - or a combination of both. There are examples of sign language in use throughout the book, and there is an expanded description of each one at the end of the story.

Lenny the Loris has real kid appeal with his cuddly fur and big eyes. The story itself is simple: despite Lenny's cute appearance, he is a menace. He is naughty, a bully and a tease who makes all the other jungle creatures keen to avoid him. When Miss Four and Mr Two first heard the story, they could not stop giggling at how mischievous he was! When he finally got a big hug, they thought that was funny too as their nighttime hugs often include some tickling. Mr Two wondered if he got tickled too! Miss Four did think he looked sad in some of the pictures, and on the second reading she wanted to stop the story and hug him herself. There was great fun for both children and their mother as they identified the different signing instances on each page and ticked them off on the chart at the end of the book. Mr Two was not able to find them on his own, but he quickly took his cue from his big sister and was soon pointing at them too.

Both children have picked up some of the words already and are busily signing to each other, Although they have no deaf family members right now, they did have a great uncle who was completely deaf; their mother has told them about him and how she would communicate with him when she was their age. Mr Two did not quite understand this, but Miss Four did and said she would like to be ready for the time when she might need to sign. She wondered if Lenny was deaf too; we decided that, since it was the friends who were signing, they might be trying to communicate with Lenny. It was not clear from the story why he was so antisocial. She thought it might be because he felt bad about himself, or maybe he just could not hear the other animals so teasing them was his way of interacting. Mr Two loved all Lenny's friends, and was happy when they all started getting on. The vivid illustrations enchanted him; apart from Lenny Loris, his favourites were Riley Raccoon and the green frog who appears on many of the pages.