PreS-Gr 2 After overhearing her sister say the words birthday, Mommy, fuzzy, little , and squishy , five-year-old Eddie traipses all over town alone, looking for the perfect present for her mother. She visits the baker, the florist, the clothing shop, the antique dealer, and the butcher. Everyone except the butcher gives her something that is neither fluffy/fuzzy nor squishy. The butcher tells her he's busy and frightens her away while waving a bloody knife. When she finally finds a "FLUFFY LITTLE SQUISHY," it looks like a cross between a pink poodle and a rodent. Eddie cuddles it as if it is alive and takes it home to Mom, who wears the best present everas a hat? The cartoon illustrations are done in colored pencil with watercolor backgrounds, and the style is reminiscent of Ludwig Bemelmans's art. The colors are muted except for Eddie's bright pink coat and the bright pink creature. VERDICT This French import is an interesting mix of realism and fantasy about one child finding her special talent. A general purchase for larger libraries. Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

One morning, straw-haired five-and-a-half-year-old Eddie (short for Edith) overhears her sister say, "birthday mmy zzy ttle uishy." This can only mean that her sister has found an amazing present for their mom, but Eddie is sure she can do better. Dressed in striped tights and a puffy neon-pink coat, Eddie hits the town on a quest for something fluffier and squishier. She tries the bakery and the florist, a clothing boutique and an antique dealer, and even the grumpy butcher. But all she has to show for her trouble is a brioche, a clover, a button, and a stamp. Thoroughly discouraged, she wanders back outside, only to look up and spot "a true FLUFFY LITTLE SQUISHY, at last!" Getting the Squishy home is another matter, and it turns out the items she acquired in town come in very useful. Colored pencil and collage techniques come together in whimsical illustrations that reflect the story's French origin, as well as the sweetness and quirkiness of Eddie's gift-finding mission.