Truffle and Rosalie attempt to follow well meaning friends advice on how to woo each other until they realize all they need to do is be themselves.

When pretty pink Rosalie and shy brown Truffle meet under the apple tree, it's love at first sight! Unfortunately, they are each persuaded - by the bad advice of friends - into "improving" themselves almost beyond recognition. Will they realize their error in time, and reunite...?

I will confess that my curiosity was piqued by an amazon review which described this little picture-book (originally published in Germany) as "pornographic." Knowing that any mention of sexuality in a children's book is enough to set off some of my fellow Americans, I thought I'd find a copy of Rosalie and Truffle / Truffle and Rosalie, and decide for myself.

Truthfully, I see very little in Katja Reider's innocuous story to offend. An unabashedly romantic tale of being true to oneself, it does seem a little mature for the picture-book audience - do young girls worry about getting involved with the first boy to come along? do young boys believe they need to be stock-brokers? - but these are thematic concerns, not moral ones. All in all, I'd say this would make a cute gift for older children, especially tweens who are really thinking about romance for the first time. ( )