- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Everyday Life
Waffles and Julius: No Hugs Please
Waffles the dog loves hugs; Julius the cat most definitely does not. Ed Vere turns the classic cat-and-dog pairing into a warm, funny picture book about patience, boundaries and loving a friend on their own terms.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Repetitive
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Gentle
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Waffles really, really loves hugs, and there is nothing he would like more than to wrap his best friend Julius in a great big squeeze. There is just one problem: Julius is a cat who loves many things, especially cat-naps, but definitely, absolutely does not love hugs. So Waffles decides he will wait. He'll wait until Julius is ready. It won't be so hard, will it? (Yes. Yes, it will.) With his signature bold, characterful artwork and a text made for reading aloud, Ed Vere spins the eternal cat-and-dog dynamic into a genuinely funny and tender story about respecting a friend's boundaries and the lovely things that happen when we do. Underneath the silliness is a gentle, welcome lesson about patience, consent and accepting the people we love exactly as they are, wriggly enthusiasm and all.
“Waffles loves hugs. Julius does not.”
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A read-aloud picture book for 3-6s, with visual comedy that toddlers enjoy and a boundaries message that resonates through the early school years. Simple enough for beginning readers of 5+ to try themselves.
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- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 3–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Minimal
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Cats and dogs
- Read aloud
- Boundaries and consent
- Funny friendship
Avoid if
- Wants action adventure
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Waffles' desperate, wriggly longing to hug a cat who absolutely does not want hugging is very funny, and children know exactly how hard it is to wait for something you want. The patient, happy ending feels earned and warm.
- Friendship and belonging
- Being understood finally
Why parents love it
A brilliantly simple read-aloud that teaches respecting a friend's boundaries without ever feeling like a lesson. Ed Vere's expressive artwork carries the comedy, and the message about patience and consent lands gently through laughter.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
- Quick to read
About the author & illustrator
Ed Vere.
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