Attack of the 50-Foot Fluffy

Claire works hard to hold things together when life hands her disappointments. But everyone has a breaking point, and Claire reaches hers after a morning of frustration (it starts to rain just as she finally gets a turn on the swing). She channels her anger into her stuffed bunny, Fluffy, who grows into a towering giant capable of smashing anything that has thwarted its owner (“CRRRRRRRUNCH!” goes the swing set when Fluffy stomps on it). The destructiveness of her anger and its impact on others shocks Claire back into reality; her apology and willingness to put things right prompts reassurances that “We’ve all been there before” (her friends also recall their own larger-than-life outbursts, triggered by bath times and brussels sprouts, among other dislikes). Boldt (123 versus ABC) has created a bobblehead-style heroine whom readers should find instantly sympathetic in moods good and bad. And while 50-foot Fluffy is a furry force to be reckoned with—the character makes the most of Boldt’s dimensional drawing style—it’s also clear that the rabbit, like its owner, will be back to its old self in no time. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Aug.) [/em]