The Kissing Hand, A Pocket Full of Kisses, & Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully

The Kissing Hand - 30 pages

A Pocket Full of Kisses - 32 pages

Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully - 32 pages

Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper (Illustrator), Nancy M. Leak (Illustrator), Barbara Gibson (Illustrator)

Summary for The Kissing Hand (From Goodreads)

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school--he wants to stay home with his mother. She assures him that he'll love school--with its promise of new friends, new toys, and new books. Even better, she has a special secret that's been in the family for years--the Kissing Hand. This secret, she tells him, will make school seem as cozy as home. She takes her son's hand, spreads his tiny fingers into a fan and kisses his palm--smack dab in the middle: "Chester felt his mother's kiss rush from his hand, up his arm, and into his heart." Whenever he feels lonely at school, all he has to do is press his hand to his cheek to feel the warmth of his mother's kiss. Chester is so pleased with his Kissing Hand that he--in a genuinely touching moment--gives his mom a Kissing Hand, too, to comfort her when he is away. 

Summary for A Pocket Full of Kisses (From Goodreads)

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. 

Summary for Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully (From Goodreads)

When Mrs. Raccoon learns that there is a bully problem at school, she decides to investigate the situation. But after seeing the bully for herself, she shares a story about a forest that was full of smooth yellow stones, and how the animals living there changed a pointy stone they found into a smooth stone so that it wouldn't hurt any tender paws. Chester, Ronny, and Cassy follow the spirit of Mrs. Raccoon's story when they next encounter the Bully. Approaching him as a group, they invite him to play, proving that the best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him or her a friend. 

Review

I remembered loving the story of the kissing hand when I was little, so I decided to go back and read it again as an adult.  This led to me discovering it was the first of a series, so I decided to check those out, too.  They are all so sweet!  I'd recommend these in a heartbeat to any parent with a child starting school!