A Porcupine Named Fluffy Has An Identity Crisis

Several years ago, I discovered the picture books of Helen Lester, who often teams up with illustrator Lynn Munsinger for tales about quirky animals, particularly those involving a goofy penguin named Tacky. On a recent trip to the library, I realized that I had missed a few of their gems the first time around, so I decided to fill in some of those gaps. The cover illustration immediately drew me to A Porcupine Named Fluffy.

In truth, that cover is a bit of a spoiler, since it depicts a moment at the end of the book. Then again, it’s a short story with only a few sentences per page, and the bulk of the climactic revelation is verbal rather than visual anyway. Therefore, seeing Fluffy ride atop a rhino’s head as both wear wide smiles doesn’t tell us very much. We just know that these two critters with pointy body parts will eventually enjoy each other’s company. The fun of their meeting is still to be discovered.

Recent celebrity baby naming trends reveal an intense desire to make a child stand out from the rest by virtue of his or her moniker. Some of the choices are downright bizarre. This spirit of individualism seems to have taken hold of the peculiar pair of porcupines who decide to name their child Fluffy. Had they known the identity crisis this would later cause, would they still have done it? Then again, having such a surprising name does have its advantages too, as he will come to learn.

This is a very cute book. The illustrations are cheerful and silly, sure to spark smiles. Poor Fluffy wants so very much to live up to his name, but he is spiky, not fluffy. His valiant attempts show him to be creative and determined, but a leopard can’t change his spots, and a porcupine can’t undo his quills. Fluffy may have a cute and cuddly name, but he will always be a little prickly.

Some of his efforts to change are very funny, and industrious kids could probably figure out more ideas for him to try. A great tie-in activity for this book would be having children illustrate Fluffy’s pursuit of fluffiness, either using an example from the story or furnishing a new one. My favorite from the book involves him applying whipped cream to each of his quills, to the point that he looks like the Abominable Snowman.

The writing is geared toward young readers, so it is fairly simple, with plenty of repetition. However, this does not detract from the humor of the situation, and there is a drily comic tone to much of the story. I especially like the short but effective sentence, “Fluffy definitely wasn’t.” The best bit of verbal humor comes in toward the end of the story, though, and makes all of Fluffy’s pains worth it.

This is a sweet and funny story about being different and about the extent to which we are defined by the names we are given. Fluffy wants to be true to himself; does that mean standing by his name or his species? This question could spark an interesting discussion of name meanings wherein kids can learn the significance of their names and ponder whether they are a good fit. Whether or not it is a catalyst for further conversation, A Porcupine Named Fluffy is a very cute book that should tickle the funny bone of any youngster who loves animals and silly situations.