A Pet for Petunia

K-Gr 3—Fearless apologist for skunks, Petunia can no longer accept just a stuffed toy, and begs and pleads with her parents for a real one. Precocious as can be, she will not accept the brick wall she hits when her parents' true feelings leak out, and they say no with the simple reason, "They stink." The child relentlessly concludes that her parents are "lunkheads" and decides to run away, plotting, "I'll get eaten by bear. Then they'll let me have my pet skunk." She gets what she deserves when she comes upon a skunk in the woods and experiences firsthand the "awful...horrible...humungous stink!" The illustrations leave much white space for Petunia's personality to soar. The natural, expressive charcoal-rendered lines coupled with accents of purple watercolor (and a bit of complementary orange here and there) suit the story well and add to its sophistication; the typeface is equally expressive. Although the circular ending with the child eyeing a porcupine rings a tad clichéd, the gentle artistry of the skunk, the woods, and the porcupine warm the heart.—Sara Lissa Paulson, American Sign Language and English Lower School PS 347, New York City