How to Build a Hug

July 1, 2018

K-Gr 3-Guglielmo and Tourville (Pocket Full of Colors: The Magical World of Mary Blair) team up again to present a picture book biography of noted out-of-the-box thinker, Temple Grandin. The authors focus on young Grandin's creativity and ingenuity and her sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells, and touch-being hugged "felt like being stuffed inside the scratchiest sock in the world.." The narrative details how Grandin came to work on the cattle systems that would make her legendary, and what relief she found in the work. Potter skillfully depicts Grandin's experience using her familiar folk art style. She makes effective use of white space and spot illustrations to carry the story forward and depict Grandin's thoughts and feelings. In another spread, Potter suggests a connection between Grandin and her mother, even as Temple is shown hiding under a table and then running away from a hug: her plaid shirt matches the colors and lines on her mother's apron. An authors' note gives more detail about Grandin's life and work, but no sources are listed. Notably, the back matter is the only place in the book where autism is mentioned. VERDICT An inspiring look at the development of a scientist and advocate. Highly recommended for biography sections as well as for elementary STEAM curricula.-Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2018
A picture book explores Temple Grandin's first innovation, a personalized hug machine.When she was a child, Temple Grandin couldn't stand hugs. To her, they "felt like being stuffed inside the scratchiest sock in the world." While she craved the comfort she saw others receiving from hugs, she found physical contact with others to be overstimulating and actively unpleasant. During one summer at her aunt's ranch, she observed the squeeze chutes that ranchers used to calm cows during examinations and realized she could give it a try herself. She fashioned her own device out of wood and cushions, using a pulley to make it adjustable from within--all the comfort of a hug without the overstimulation! Guglielmo and Tourville present Grandin's story with respect and enthusiasm. The narrative concludes when her machine breaks. "And she knew that only one thing could cheer her up: // A HUG." A quote from Grandin concludes the text: "I'm into hugging people now." While Grandin has become comfortable with hugs, it's not totally clear how this has come to pass, and for some readers, this ending's emphasis on neurotypical behavior may feel out of place. Potter's watercolor illustrations are typical of her style, with flat faces (almost all of them white), realistic colors, and full-bleed spreads. An authors' note provides more detailed background on Grandin's life and work, and only here is it mentioned that Grandin is on the autism spectrum.Imperfect but still lovely. (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

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July 16, 2018
Guglielmo and Tourville gently present the story behind Grandin’s “squeeze machine,” describing Grandin’s childhood love of building and design, as well as her sensitivities: “Temple did not like scratchy socks, whistling teakettles, bright lights, or smelly perfumes.” Hugs, in particular, she found unbearable. But, the authors explain, Grandin discovered that external pressure placed on her body made her feel secure. As an adult, Grandin observed how cows are placed in squeeze chutes to calm them during veterinary exams; this led Grandin to design her own “hug machine.” Potter’s warm illustrations feature human and animal figures that are reminiscent of folk art dolls while showing Grandin’s discomfort with outside stimulation. The authors avoid overt mention of autism in the story, but back matter elaborates on Grandin’s life, career, and contributions to autism awareness. Ages 4–8.

August 1, 2018
Grades K-2 The ever-inspirational Temple Grandin is the subject of this picture book about a mechanical solution to a sensory challenge. As a child, Grandin displayed extreme sensitivity to sounds, smells, and touch. While she wished she could experience something as universally pleasant as hugging, it was a torturous experience for her. When, as a young woman, she witnessed a ranch hand guiding a skittish cow into a squeeze box for a veterinary exam, she was inspired to invent a similar device for herself. Grandin's hug machine allowed her to experience the pleasure of an embrace under conditions she could control, till she ultimately reached a point where she no longer needed it. Grandin's story is tenderly told. The consternation the young girl feels at her inability to partake in a fundamental human experience is abundantly clear through Potter's woodcut-style illustrations, and her eventual solution feels like a unique triumph. An author's note explains how Grandin's experience with autism has shaped her life and her activism. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)