A Pocket Full of Kisses

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children’s classic The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children.

Chester Raccoon has a baby brother—and the baby brother is taking over his territory. When Chester sees his mother give his baby brother a Kissing Hand—his Kissing Hand—he is overcome with sadness, but Mrs. Raccoon soothes his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know he is deeply loved. Brought to life by Barbara Leonard Gibson’s warm illustrations, this story is perfect for families who are adjusting to all the changes new members can bring.

Audrey Penn takes her one-woman educational program, the Writing Penn, into schools, libraries, and children’s hospitals where she shapes and refines her story ideas in partnership with kids. She is also highly sought after as a conference keynote speaker by groups of teachers and other professionals who work with children.

Author Website

An award-winning illustrator, Barbara Leonard Gibson was a freelance artist in the Baltimore-Washington area for twenty-five years. Originally from New York, and with a degree in Fine Art and Design from Carnegie Mellon University, she worked in many areas including historical illustration, children’s books, and magazines, cartooning, portraiture, wildlife illustration, natural sciences, advertising, fantasy, and science fiction.

“The Kissing Hand…has developed such a following that many libraries cannot fill the demand each year before the start of school…But those who love the original may want to read the new story about Chester Raccoon…Teeming with details, Gibson’s paintings depict an idyllic woodland populated with friendly beasts, birds, and bugs that seem to pause and take an interest in the raccoons’ conversations. The focus of the artwork, as well as the story, is clearly on the loving mother-and-child relationship”
—Booklist

“Penn understands the powerful pull of old-fashioned sentiment.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This heartwarming book is a perfect choice for families with a new sibling or to use in a day-care/pre-school setting.”
—watermarkbooks.com