How to Build a Hug

Written by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville · Illustrated by Giselle Potter

A girl who dislikes hugs invents a machine to feel embraced.

4.3 Goodreads · 583 ratings

48 pages· 868 words· Est. 7 min read-aloud· AD770L

$18.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Temple Grandin, a young girl who loves creating, struggles with the discomfort of hugs. Determined to experience their warmth without the sensory overload, she devises a unique solution: a hug machine. Can her invention bring her the comfort she seeks? Discover how Temple's ingenuity transforms her world and inspires others.

From the publisher

Amy Guglielmo, Jacqueline Tourville, and Giselle Potter come together to tell the inspiring story of autism advocate Dr. Temple Grandin and her brilliant invention: the hug machine. As a young girl, Temple Grandin loved folding paper kites, making obstacle courses, and building lean-tos. But she really didn’t like hugs. Temple wanted to be held—but to her, hugs felt like being stuffed inside the scratchiest sock in the world; like a tidal wave of dentist drills, sandpaper, and awful cologne, coming at her all at once. Would she ever get to enjoy the comfort of a hug? Then one day, Temple had an idea. If she couldn’t receive a hug, she would make one…she would build a hug machine!

At a glance