Fuzz McFlops

After a childhood of being bullied for having one ear shorter than the other, bunny writer Fuzz McFlops isolates himself in his borrow to write pessimistic poems and stories about unhappy protagonists with unhappy endings. One day, he receives a letter from a fan named Charlotte who takes it upon herself to change his sad stories into happy ones. The first letter offends Fuzz and causes his earspasmitis, an ear twitching condition brought on by anxiety, to flare up. As more correspondence arrives from Charlotte, however, Fuzz decides to write her back and soon finds himself looking at things more optimistically. Perhaps he will get the happy ending he has long denied the characters in his own stories. This whimsical tale is written and illustrated by Italian-Brazilian writer Eva Furnari. Although this story comes from Brazil, it has universal appeal for children all over the world. Furnari’s surrealist illustrations are inspired by the way children draw, free of artistic molds and full of humor. Through her use of bright colors and unconventional lines, her drawings capture the emotion of her cast of quirky characters. Fuzz McFlops also has pages that are styled like letters written on vibrant stationery, old user manuals, prescription letters, telegrams, music sheets, and framed portraits, which adds a nice touch to the story. The first 37 pages of Fuzz McFlops are where the actual story takes place, while the remaining 19 pages serve as a dictionary for some of the advanced words used throughout the book such as autobiography, fable, and patient information. These definitions are accompanied by characters mentioned within the story, such as the tortoise and the hare, and characters from the universe that were not included within the story, such as Charlotte and Fuzz’s relatives. The character illustrations and the small stories they act out next to the definitions help illustrate the meaning of the word. This story is suitable for ages 5 to 8 years old and is sure to delight older audiences as well. 

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