Don't Hug Doug : (He Doesn't Like It)

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You’ll be able to come back to this lesson plan when you are ready to read it aloud with your students. Author Carrie Finison and illustrator Daniel Wiseman wrote a fun story about an essential aspect to understand!

Don’t Hug Doug – Teachers | Books | Readers Don’t Hug Doug – Teachers | Books | Readers

Thankfully, teaching personal space with Don’t Hug Doug and the Read Aloud Activities creates the perfect way to learn such an important life skill. The good news is that the kid readers I’ve interacted with are very accepting of Doug and his preferences, and are eager to express their own hugging preferences, too. Therefore, there are higher-level thinking questions and talking points to guide student discussion. When students develop relationships, they may not realize the different characteristics people have.This book is perfect to pair with Can I Give you a Squish by Emily Nelson or Don’t Touch My Hair by Sharee Miller. In drafting the story, it was important to me to let Doug be himself, without explanation or apology. Instead, we must learn to simply accept differences and preferences, accommodate for them, and move on. When learning the importance of respecting personal space, it is crucial for students to share their preferences. Whether someone is “a Doug” or not, I hope books like this can help us all let go of the need for explanations and labels, and make room for others’ preferences with the acceptance, empathy, and respect they deserve.

Carrie Finison: Don’t Hug Doug (And Don’t Label Him, Either) Carrie Finison: Don’t Hug Doug (And Don’t Label Him, Either)

But even more, I want Doug’s character to feel universal and to remind readers of what we have in common. Our committees have been hard at work for the past year curating these lists and we are excited about them! In a board book that reads like a picture book, an unseen narrator offers advice for caring for an under-the-weather elephant. But if a person doesn’t like hugs for…no particular reason, it’s somehow much more difficult for the would-be hugger to accept.This is because hugs can be so comforting to one person while they are incredibly awkward to others. Don’t Hug Doug and the Read Aloud Activities are essential to understanding the Social Emotional Learning skill.

Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) - Publishers Weekly Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) - Publishers Weekly

Often, students do something and do not realize that everyone is unique and has different comfort levels. Each task card will help students understand the importance of respecting personal space with Don’t Hug Doug. Additionally, it includes an introduction to help prepare students and sets the purpose for the story.A gently humorous picture book that kindly, effectively highlights the importance of asking others before initiating physical contact.

Goodreads 2023 Monarch Award Nominees (20 books) - Goodreads

Students need to understand what personal space is and the importance of respecting each person’s comfort level. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, son, and daughter, and two cats who allow her to work in their cozy attic office. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for labels, especially when they help people to get the specialized treatment or services they need within the education and healthcare systems. I don’t want readers mentally diagnosing Doug every time they read the book, the same way we shouldn’t be mentally diagnosing the people around us based on their preferences and behaviors.It makes me happy when I hear that a child with sensory issues, for example, relates to Doug, and that reading the book helps adults in their lives understand their preferences a little better. Since students are still learning about each other, it can be confusing that only some people like the same things. There is a written response and activity sheet to help students learn ways to ensure every classmate feels included. If a person doesn’t like hugs, and is autistic, for example, then that feels like an “acceptable” explanation. Teachers work hard to ensure students understand how the material taught in the classroom relates to life outside of school.