CLIP Review: The Kissing Hand

Author:  Audrey Penn
Illustrators:  Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak

Chester is a young raccoon who would rather stay at home than go to school.  In the forward, Jean Kennedy Smith notes that the story is "for any child who confronts a difficult situation, and for the child within each of us who sometimes needs reassurance."  Mrs. Raccoon tells her boy that "I know a wonderful secret that will make your nights at school seem as warm and cozy as your days at home." She then kisses his palm, and Chester feels the kiss "rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he gets lonely, she advises, he is to press his hand to his cheek and "that very kiss will jump to your face and fill you with toasty warm thoughts." And indeed, this "secret" works for Chester, who in turn kisses his mother's palm so that she, too, will be reassured. 

Even though this is a delightful book to read to a child who is beginning school, I wanted to share it this month because of our CLIP theme for March, facing fears.  Every child experiences separation anxiety, and this is the perfect book to use when addressing these fears.    

3 - 8 years

Deni Corbett

The Kissing Hand activity
Trace and cut out your child's hand on a piece of construction paper.  Load on the lipstick and leave a kiss imprint in the middle of their traced hand.  Fold and place in their pocket whenever they are afraid to be away from you.    

Kissing Hand Cookies
Using a hand-shaped cookie cutter (about $1.00), make hand-shaped sugar cookies and place a chocolate candy kiss or heart shaped candy in the middle after taking the cookies out of the oven.
                                     "The kiss (or heart) is you, the hand is me,
                                                  I love you and our family."