In her debut picture book, Simona Ciraola creates an endearing tale of friendship, beautifully illustrated with buoyant wit and the perfect story to share.

Ever feel like you need a hug, a really big hug from someone? That's how Felipe the young cactus feels, but his family just isn’t the touchy-feely kind. Cacti can be quite prickly sometimes you know… and so can Felipe.

But he’ll be darned if this one pointy issue will hold him back, so one day Felipe sets off on his own to find a friend and, just maybe, that long awaited hug.

In her debut picture book, Simona Ciraola creates an endearing tale of friendship, beautifully illustrated with buoyant wit and the perfect story to share.

• Simona is a recent graduate from the highly esteemed MA in Children’s Book Ilustration at Cambridge School of Art
• Her work won her the Sebastian Walker award in 2013 
• Strong visual narrative