Book Review: Sloppy Wants a Hug by Sean Julian

Sloppy Wants a Hug is a picturebook by Sean Julian.  Find out why you should never hug a tree dragon—especially a sloppy one. Sloppy the tree dragon wants a hug, but Dewdrop the sprite isn’t going to give him one, for a very good reason.

Sloppy Wants a Hug is a book seems sweet and with a message about kindness. However, the more I thought about it the more it bothered me. Dewdrop says she will not give Sloppy a hug, and that he knows why. However when Sloppy asks and does not understand, Dewdrop refuses to explain. Then- Sloppy goes for some emotional manipulation to try to get the hug she wants from her 'friend', but Dewdrop is not giving in and instead goes around giving hugs to others- and telling them that they are worthy. It is only when Dewdrop sees Sloppy do a good deed that she deems him worthy of her affection. Then we discover that Sloppy licks when he hugs. Couldn't Dewdrop have just given him a hug and asked him to refrain from the licking? 

I know I am over thinking a picturebook. But, honestly, the emotional black mail and whatnot here is not something I want to encourage. Could we have gone with the message that it is okay not to want to hug, BUT  friends accept each other's faults and find other ways to show they care. The only thing that garnered the book two stars rather than one is the charming artwork.