The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy

Originally published in French in 2014 as “Le merveilleux Dodu-Velu-Petit,” the book was written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna, and translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick. The book tells the story of exuberant, five-year-old Eddie who, after a spirited quest through a round of traditional merchants in her picturesque French village, parlays a bit of brioche, a four-leaf clover, a mother-of-pearl button, and a British Naval postage stamp into an elusive, perfect birthday gift for her mother while discovering her own special talent.

 

“Alemagna’s vivid descriptions and expressionistic illustrations of the winsome child and her close-knit community transport the reader on a journey of imagination and frivolity,” said Batchelder Award Committee Chair Elizabeth (Beth) Rosania