100 books like Hug Me

By Simona Ciraolo,

Here are 100 books that Hug Me fans have personally recommended if you like Hug Me. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Book cover of Where Happiness Begins

Geneviève Godbout Author Of What's Up, Maloo?

From my list on to discuss loneliness and depression.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a freelance illustrator who specializes in children’s literature. I now live in Montreal, surrounded by my little family, after many years spent in London as a Winnie the Pooh character artist for the Walt Disney Company. What's Up, Maloo? is my first book as an author and was inspired by my own experience of suffering with anxiety and depression. I wanted to create Maloo as a tool for children and adults to discuss the importance of being well surrounded and to reach out to a friend when we are feeling low.

Geneviève's book list on to discuss loneliness and depression

Geneviève Godbout Why did Geneviève love this book?

Where Happiness Begins is a clever picture book that depicts happiness as a character that can take any shape and form. Sometimes it is hard to find. And sometimes it is right there with us. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. To me, we should read it frequently as a gentle reminder that happiness always begins within ourselves.

By Eva Eland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Where Happiness Begins as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

This follow-up to When Sadness Is at Your Door suggests that happiness can always be found by looking within.

This helpful picture book is a great introduction to mindfulness and emotional literacy. A spare text and simple illustrations encourage readers to find happiness even if it feels far away. The book gives it a shape, turning this elusive emotion into something real while acknowledging that you can't be happy all the time. The thoughtful text reassures readers that when happiness is hard to find, they can look for it in many places. Sharing something with a friend or reaching out…


Book cover of The Bear and the Moon

Ellen Tarlow Author Of Looking for Smile

From my list on bringing on a tear.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been captivated by the emotional power of picture books since I was a child and have spent my adult life reading, sharing, and trying to write the kinds of books that connect to the youngest of readers on a deeper level. In Looking for Smile, I tried to write about the day when I was five years old and experienced real sadness for the first time. This became a story about Bear and his friend, Smile. My favorite kind of picture books are those that make me smile and tear up at the same time. I decided I would share some recent books that have had that effect on me…

Ellen's book list on bringing on a tear

Ellen Tarlow Why did Ellen love this book?

A dreamlike book about an all-alone bear who befriends a balloon. When the little bear accidentally punctures his new friend, he blames himself. And now the poor thing is not only utterly alone, but is overcome with sadness and self-blame. The delicacy with which this story treats the difficult topics of shame and self-blame is marvelous. Making a bad situation worse by blaming it on yourself is just so relevant to all of our lives, no matter how young we are and this book really captures that in an elemental way. The tender, emotive illustrations are a perfect complement to the delicate and penetrating text.

By Matthew Burgess, Catia Chien (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Bear and the Moon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

The Bear and the Moon is a picture book that follows what happens when the gift of a balloon floats into Bear's life.

The two companions embark on a journey-a magical tale that encompasses the joys of friendship and discovery.

This is a gentle book filled with humor, while tackling complex topics like the transcendence of loss and forgiveness.

* Filled with emotive text and radiant illustrations
* Simply told and profoundly felt
* Award winning author-illustrator team

The Bear and the Moon is a compassionate tale that honors the small but profound world of the very young.

This sweet…


Book cover of The Shadow Elephant

Geneviève Godbout Author Of What's Up, Maloo?

From my list on to discuss loneliness and depression.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a freelance illustrator who specializes in children’s literature. I now live in Montreal, surrounded by my little family, after many years spent in London as a Winnie the Pooh character artist for the Walt Disney Company. What's Up, Maloo? is my first book as an author and was inspired by my own experience of suffering with anxiety and depression. I wanted to create Maloo as a tool for children and adults to discuss the importance of being well surrounded and to reach out to a friend when we are feeling low.

Geneviève's book list on to discuss loneliness and depression

Geneviève Godbout Why did Geneviève love this book?

In addition to being an absolute beauty, this book tackles the subject of empathy and self-acceptance with delicacy. It tells the story of an elephant who feels down and can't be cheered up by his colorful savannah friends. It reminds us that sometimes, it’s okay to be sad without having to get better right away. Friends can show their support by simply being there, without judgment or action.

By Nadine Robert, Valerio Vidali (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Shadow Elephant as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A gentle story about sadness showing that sometimes all you need to feel better is the openness of someone who accepts you as you are.


A Financial Times Best Children's Book of 2021


This is a subtle story about an elephant who is feeling sorrowful, and nothing seems to interest him or lift his spirits. Illustrated with a striking contrast between shadow and light, the moody blue elephant appears to live in a different world from his colorful savanna friends. Empathy is a tricky emotion for children and adults alike to grasp, but The Shadow Elephant manages to walk the…


Book cover of Who Will Comfort Toffle?: A Tale of Moomin Valley

Geneviève Godbout Author Of What's Up, Maloo?

From my list on to discuss loneliness and depression.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a freelance illustrator who specializes in children’s literature. I now live in Montreal, surrounded by my little family, after many years spent in London as a Winnie the Pooh character artist for the Walt Disney Company. What's Up, Maloo? is my first book as an author and was inspired by my own experience of suffering with anxiety and depression. I wanted to create Maloo as a tool for children and adults to discuss the importance of being well surrounded and to reach out to a friend when we are feeling low.

Geneviève's book list on to discuss loneliness and depression

Geneviève Godbout Why did Geneviève love this book?

This book is a timeless classic that everyone should have. It follows Toffle, a little wallflower who's fearful of the world and too shy to speak to anyone. He goes through his journey, sad and alone, as he watches the joyful lives of others from afar. Until the day he finds a letter... Who Will Comfort Toffle? reminds the reader that isolation is never the solution and that even the most unfit of us can find a special someone.

By Tove Jansson, Sophie Hannah (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Who Will Comfort Toffle? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

A SCANDINAVIAN MIDCENTURY CLASSIC BACK IN PRINT

Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the timeless, magical tale of the wistful wallflower, Toffle-too shy to speak to anyone and too fearful of the world he is watching from afar. Lonely and sad, Toffle runs away from home and watches the magical cast of Moomin Valley-Mymble, My, Snufkin, the merry whompses and the Fillyjonk-celebrate and enjoy life. His insecurity continues to only serve his isolation until he has the courage to overcome his fears by reaching out to another frightened introvert, the mesmerizing Miffle. Who Will Comfort Toffle? is an endearing, introspective story…


Book cover of Cactus Hotel

Jeff Ollerton Author Of Pollinators and Pollination: Nature and Society

From my list on bees and other pollinators.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a kid growing up in the northeast of England I became fascinated by the insects, flowers, birds, geology, and seashore life around me. That fascination with natural history never left me and I had the fortune to turn my childhood interests into a professional career as a research scientist, teacher, and writer. My work on pollinators and plants has taken me around the world, from the grasslands of Oxfordshire to the deserts of Namibia and the mountains of Nepal, from the rainforests of Brazil and Australia to the thorny shrublands of Tenerife. The result has been more than 135 articles plus a couple of books. I must get back to writing the next one…

Jeff's book list on bees and other pollinators

Jeff Ollerton Why did Jeff love this book?

I bought this book for my daughter Ellen when she was 3 or 4 years old, and I think I was even more enchanted than she was! It's a wonderfully told and illustrated story about the animals that live in and around the giant saguaro cactuses in the deserts of the USA and Mexico. The pollinators are birds during the day and bats at night, and this book provides a child's-eye view of some of the science. Ellen is now 31...where does the time go?

Children are our future and the ways in which we influence them will have enormous consequences for the fate of our planet, including how we conserve bees, birds, bats, and other pollinators. Books such as this are so important – every child should have access to them, at home, at school, or in public libraries.

By Brenda Z. Guiberson, Megan Lloyd (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cactus Hotel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!

Many different animals live in the cactus hotel. It protects them; and they protect it, by eating the pests that could harm the cactus.

The cactus grows larger and larger and will live for about two hundred years. When one animal moves out, another moves in. There is never a vacancy in the cactus hotel.

This story--about a desert, a giant cactus, and the…


Book cover of The Night Flower: The Blooming of the Saguaro Cactus

Anita Sanchez Author Of Wait Till It Gets Dark: A Kid's Guide to Exploring the Night

From my list on for exploring nature at night with kids.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a writer, I’m especially fascinated by plants and animals that no one loves. My books are intended to get kids excited about science and help them appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Many years of fieldwork, leading children on nature walks, have given me firsthand experience in introducing students to the terrors and joys of nature. I especially enjoy the beauties of the night, from fireflies to coyote howls to star-gazing!

Anita's book list on for exploring nature at night with kids

Anita Sanchez Why did Anita love this book?

I once was lucky enough to spend a night camping in the desert under a saguaro cactus. These big, human-looking cacti are magnificent, and this book really captures how important they are to the desert and all the animals that live there. Beautiful illustrations really make me remember that night under the stars and how impressive the giant saguaros are. I’ve learned that when kids feel a sense of awe toward nature, that’s the first step in becoming an environmentalist.

By Lara Hawthorne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Night Flower as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

As the summer sun sets over the Arizonan desert, wildlife gathers to witness a very special annual event. The night flower is about to bloom. This celebration transforms the quiet desert for just a short few hours into a riot of colour and sound, as mammals and insects congregate from miles away to take part in this miracle of nature. From pollinating fruit bats to howling mice and reptilian monsters, explore the unusual wildlife the desert has to offer in this beautiful rhyming non-fiction picture book.


Book cover of The Indoor Garden Book: The Complete Guide to the Creative Use of Plants and Flowers in the Home

Catherine Horwood Author Of Potted History: How Houseplants Took Over Our Homes

From my list on keeping your houseplants alive.

Why am I passionate about this?

I remember my first ever houseplant—doesn’t everyone? It was a spider plant, just a small one grown as an offset from my mother’s vast ‘mother’ plant. Yestwo mothers! The plant and my green-fingered mother got me hooked on houseplants. As a social historian, I’ve written about all things to do with the homeclothes, gardens, even gardeners themselves but houseplants? Why was there no social history of plants in the home? Where did that spider plant come from? And when? The answer is Japan in the late 18th century. But the truth is that plants have been brought into homes for centuries and their stories are fascinating. 

Catherine's book list on keeping your houseplants alive

Catherine Horwood Why did Catherine love this book?

This book has been my indoor plant bible for over thirty years. John Brookes is best known for linking indoor living spaces with outdoor gardens but here he turned his masterly design eye on houseplants. Yes, all the necessary practical information on a wide range of houseplants is here. But what really separates this book from the rest—and makes it completely agelessis the photography which was so ahead of its time, it looks as though it was published last year. Interior shots with plant placement ideas with enough inspiration for the most demanding Instagram generation. What more could one need?

By John Brookes,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Indoor Garden Book as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Offers advice on decorating with plants, tells how to match plants with containers, and covers cut- and dried-flower arrangements, plant care, and room-by-room deoorating advice


Book cover of Taken by the Stranger

Emma Bray Author Of Stalking Sophie

From my list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've always loved reading romance, and something about those jealous, possessive, alpha males just always got my heart racing. I love a hero who's all in from the get-go and will do anything for the woman he loves. He knows what he wants and goes after it. I also get how crazy busy we can be. I don't know about you, but I don't always have time to sit down and read a super long novel. Insta-love romances are short and spicy and don't take more than an hour or two to read. You can count on my insta-love stories to be filled with heat, passion, and happily ever afters.

Emma's book list on insta-love short reads with possessive alpha males

Emma Bray Why did Emma love this book?

This book is so deliciously over-the-top. Forced into a marriage she doesn't want, Sophie gets desperate and makes a crazy post online, begging someone to kidnap her. Phoenix actually does it, and it's just an insane level of possessive hotness from then on out. Phoenix is dark and gruff and growly and everything an obsessive alpha male should be.

By Jenna Rose,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Taken by the Stranger as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

At thirteen, I was promised to another man. At eighteen, I was married off to him by my parents. A day before we would consummate our union, as a last ditch effort to save myself, I put an online ad asking for a stranger to take me away. I never thought it would actually happen. Now, the man holding me has no intention of ever letting me go. In fact, his plans for me are much more dark and twisted than anything I ever could have imagined.


Book cover of Living

Katia Rose Author Of This Used to Be Easier

From my list on mental health in relationships.

Why am I passionate about this?

I write romance novels that are as much about the characters learning to love themselves as they are about people falling in love with each other. While most of my books are romantic comedies, that doesn’t stop my characters from facing some of the darkest parts of themselves and coming out on the other side feeling sure of their own worth. I often explore mental health topics, and I love to see other romance authors de-stigmatizing things like therapy, medication, and reaching out for support. The romance novels I’ve included below cover a wide range of subjects, but they all handle mental health with care, respect, and hope.

Katia's book list on mental health in relationships

Katia Rose Why did Katia love this book?

Living has all the best ingredients for an epic slow-burn romance: a shocking first encounter, two very different heroines from completely different worlds, a beautiful friendship that unfolds with care and heartwarming tenderness, and a simmering layer of tense attraction that will keep you turning the pages as fast you can to see the burn finally burst into flames. It’s also a story that handles the topics of grief and depression with respect and a poignancy that makes this story difficult to forget. I love romances that focus on the growth of the individual characters as much as the development of their relationship with each other, and Living does a beautiful job at balancing both.

By Lise Gold,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Living as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

During her morning exercise, yoga instructor Cam Saunders finds herself rescuing a young woman who has walked into the sea, seemingly intent on taking her own life. When the woman in question turns out to be a famous actress, Cam promises to keep her secret safe.

Six months later, America’s sweetheart Ella Temperley is working hard to get her life back on track, grieving the loss of her twin sister and fighting a deep depression. Despite her fame, she feels alone in the world and keeps thinking of the woman she owes her life to.

After Ella shows up in…


Book cover of Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me

Carol Weis Author Of Stumbling Home: Life Before and After That Last Drink

From my list on addiction memoirs I wish I had when I got sober.

Why am I passionate about this?

I come from a family of “functional” alcoholics, where feelings were never discussed and drinking was the way to solve (or more likely avoid or cause) problems. After 25 years of abusing alcohol (and drugs), I finally got sober. And for the first time ever, I started writing, because all those feelings I pushed down wanted a voice. All that childhood trauma needed more than AA and talk therapy to heal.  So I gifted those feelings with written words, as did the writers I mention in my list. Recovery is something to pass on and telling our stories is another healing way to do it.

Carol's book list on addiction memoirs I wish I had when I got sober

Carol Weis Why did Carol love this book?

I worked with Erin on a deeply personal essay when she was an editor at Ravishly and was so excited when her memoir was published. Though we used different drugs and came from different backgrounds, our stories were similar, as are most addicts. We use to get rid of the pain, the shame, the anxiety/depression, whatever ails us. We find reprieve through our addictions, but find a loving life in recovery. 

By Erin Khar,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Strung Out as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“This is a story she needed to tell; and the rest of the country needs to listen.”
— New York Times Book Review

“This vital memoir will change how we look at the opioid crisis and how the media talks about it. A deeply moving and emotional read, STRUNG OUT challenges our preconceived ideas of what addiction looks like.”
—Stephanie Land, New York Times bestselling author of Maid

In this deeply personal and illuminating memoir about her fifteen-year struggle with heroin, Khar sheds profound light on the opioid crisis and gives a voice to the over two million people in…


Book cover of Where Happiness Begins
Book cover of The Bear and the Moon
Book cover of The Shadow Elephant

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