Toby Tootles

A bunny named Toby learns how to handle embarrassment after he passes gas while preparing to blow out candles at his birthday party, prompting the nickname “Tootles.” In pages that shift abruptly from festive opening scenes, Toby visits his grandmother in the hopes of forgetting his “gassy gaffe.” As the pair embark on comforting activities including baking cookies, playing catch, and biking to the grocery store, Grandma repeatedly passes gas, causing Toby to relive his earlier feelings of discomfort. Even as nearby animals react dramatically (a squirrel drops its acorn stash upon witnessing one toot), Grandma shrugs, “Hey, gas happens,” modeling an easy-going response that Toby soon has occasion to emulate. Sullivan’s fine-lined cartoon illustrations display a complex range of facial expressions from Toby as he responds to his grandma’s gassiness. The intergenerational relationship at the center of this sensitive story helps guide it to an instructive resolution. An author’s note concludes. Ages 6–7. (Mar.)