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.

Eeyorish Ereth's Bad Birthday Leads to Big Responsibility

"We can't all, and some of us don't. That's all there is to it," gripes Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, moaning that apparently some creatures, even those living in an enchanted and benevolent locale like the Hundred Acre Wood, are not entitled to happiness on their birthday. The old donkey feels rejected and neglected on what should be a joyous occasion, and so does the old porcupine who is the title character in Ereth's Birthday, a middle reader by Avi that is part of a series of tales about Dimwood Forest.

When Ereth wakes up on his birthday to find that his best friend, a mouse named Poppy, is off wandering the woods somewhere with her husband, he is so disappointed, disgruntled and downright disgusted that he decides to have a little adventure if he is to be denied a warm and fuzzy celebration. Hopefully the end result of his quest will be a birthday present for himself: a nice chunk of salt, his favorite thing in all the world. After a very long and gloomy walk, made more uncomfortable by a fresh sprinkling of snow, he finds just what he's looking for. In a cabin usually occupied by hunters. He's seen them leave, though, so he doesn't especially fear them. But his dreams of his desired delicacy are dashed when he hears someone crying out from a distance, wailing piteously, and despite his delight at his discovery, he cannot bear to gorge himself while some other creature is suffering.

So he investigates and soon finds the source of the sound: a luxurious vixen caught in a vicious steel trap that has gnawed at her leg for hours. With her last few breaths, she begs Ereth to go take care of her three kits. Though he grumbles mightily on the way to fulfilling her request, Ereth doesn't have the heart to ignore her dying wish and soon finds himself full-time babysitter to spirited Nimble, surly Tumble and timid Flip. As if their antics alone weren't enough, he is haunted by the knowledge that the surrounding area is littered with steel traps, all concealed by the snow. Moreover, his worries about what will happen if the kits' father doesn't show up give way to worries about what will happen is he does, and all the while, unbeknownst to him, a sinister pair of eyes studies him from a distance.

Ereth's Birthday is a charming and lively tale about a crusty curmudgeon remembering that he actually does care about those around him. In spite of the omnipresent covering of snow, the story is infused with warmth and tenderness, but Ereth's harsh exterior provides for plenty of comedic moments, particularly when he speaks, with a tongue as salty as his favorite treat. His alliterative, exasperated exclamations could put a sailor to shame. A sampling: "smidgen of slipper slobber," "dangling doggerels," buckled badger burgers," "chewed over cow cuds," "antelope uncles," "busted bug bottoms"... and that's just for starters.

Prior familiarity with the series is helpful but not essential to a reading of this book. Ereth is the only character from previous chronicles featured in prominence, and he is established quite firmly from the get-go, requiring no reliance on material from other installments. Each of the kits has a distinct enough personality that we can begin to see them as individuals as the story progresses rather than merely members of a threesome, which is important since the bulk of the novel deals with their interaction with Ereth. Adding to the appeal of the book are the detailed, expressive drawings of Brian Floca, illustrator for the other Dimwood Forest tales. A fairly breezy read at 180 pages broken into 27 chapters, Ereth's Birthday is great for existing fans of the series and for anyone who loves adventuresome animal stories and don't mind giving a lonely old porcupine a chance.