Today I spent several hours at Barnes and Noble in Fresno doing market research for both picture books and romance. I’ll describe that experience later. Tonight I want to share the most touching book I have read, The Kissing Hand. Written in 1993, I missed it since I stopped teaching kindergarten in 1985, so it was new to me today.
Chester Raccoon does not want to go to kindergarten. His wise mother tells him that we all have to do things we don’t want to do, but has a secret to share with him.
Chester stops crying long enough to check out the secret. Mom kisses his palm and tells him that he can touch his face with his hand and get the kiss any time he feels lonely or afraid.
Chester loves his hand. In the end Chester takes his mother’s hand and leaves her with a kissing hand to treasure in his absence. Mom loves his gift and needs it as much as he did.
Trying to limit my books to 500 words is torture. I was sure this emotional tale used many more words, but no, Penn packed tremendous love into merely 488 words. However, at the end is a letter from the author, a must read for adults. It turns out that this story stemmed from her experience observing a mother raccoon and her baby in the wild. Mommy Raccoon actually imprinted her scent on baby in a touching move as the illustrations show us, twenty years later.
My goal is to write something this touching and helpful. You must give this book to someone you love, and need to leave, no matter what their age. The Kissing Hand – remember it!
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
19 responses to “Book Review: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn”
[…] Book Review: The Kissing Hand […]
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Just beautiful! I know you will accomplish that goal, lass. Cheers,
autumn jade
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Thanks Autty! 🙂
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Sadly, Jim’s books career came to an end on March 31. He has taken a full-time job as assistant store manager for CVS Pharmacy. It’s a huge change and he’s not quite happy yet about it, but the pay certainly is a few thousand percent better than Barnes & Noble.
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I guess I didn’t remember Jim worked for B&N. What happened to real estate?
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He’s been working four jobs for a couple of years now: real estate, private piano accompanying, piano accompanist for the Music Department at San Diego State University, and Barnes & Noble.
He just quit B&N and SDSU, so it’s just real estate and CVS Pharmacy now.
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Wow! He is so talented in music, it’s too bad it doesn’t pay him tons so he wouldn’t have to do so many different jobs. Money sure doesn’t always follow talent or brains. So bizarre!
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As my wise old grandmother said, “If you have money, you can make money.”
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Sometimes! Some people that have it spend it a foolishly, and play and have fun and then have none, ie lottery winners! Easy come easy go.
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A few sports and movie stars that I can think of, too.
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I can think of folks who do the same with plastic money. It seems real and free when it’s spent, but when the bill comes, it’s another story!
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That’s the picture book challenge– keep cutting words. Great advice for all writers.
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Isn’t that the truth. Yet the real key is hitting the emotional cord. 🙂
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Beautiful story!!!
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It really is. 🙂
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I haven’t heard of this book and I suspect it’s American as the characters are racoons. It’s my goal to write beautiful stories like this too. We just have to keep on practising!
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So true, writing sis. 🙂
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Very touched story I like it, thanks for sharing. Will share with my kids, hope not too late…
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You can’t go wrong! 🙂
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