Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom's Away is a Mom's Choice Award®-winning children's book filled with humor, heart, imagination, and one very unexpected friendship. Six-year-old Len's mom travels often for work, and while Len understands that Mom has to be away, he still worries about her when she's gone. Then one day, after Mom returns home from a trip, something unexpected happens-a bedbug appears on her bed! After Mom calls pest control, the clever little bedbug escapes and forms an unlikely bond with Len. Determined to keep his new friend safe, Len comes up with a creative solution. If the bedbug agrees to hide in Mom's favorite travel mug-a special gift featuring a picture of Len, his brother Billy, and their dad-the bedbug can stay protected. Soon, the mug becomes the bedbug's new home, traveling alongside Mom on her business trips. Knowing his tiny friend is keeping an eye on Mom helps Len feel a little less worried whenever she is away. Written in playful rhyme, Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom's Away blends humor and adventure with meaningful themes of family, love, empathy, creativity, and coping with time apart. The story offers young readers a fun and relatable reminder that sometimes a little imagination can make a big worry feel much smaller. The book is also at the heart of the KinderCinch(TM) Early Literacy Program, an interactive classroom experience designed to make reading memorable and fun while reinforcing important early literacy skills such as vocabulary, sequencing, prediction, recall, and reading comprehension. Perfect for children ages 4-8, families, teachers, and classrooms, Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom's Away is a heartwarming read-aloud adventure that invites children to laugh, learn, imagine-and discover that even the smallest character can make a very big difference.