When Alicia hears that Grandma is sending her a present--something she needs--she's sure it is a tutu. The only thing I absolutely need in this whole wide world is a tutu that's pink and pouffy and sparkly, she thinks. But mom says what Alicia really needs is a bed, and this is the present that is coming.

Grandma is not sending a bed, Alicia tells herself. Grandma would not call a bed a present. At ballet class Alicia tells all her friends that a tutu is on its way. At home she reminds her mother that she will dance much better once her present arrives. It takes a sudden emergency for Alicia to realize that there might be some things more important than a tutu....

ISBN: 0-8037-1932-9

"A satisfying book with great appeal that will strike a familiar chord in any child who has ever wanted something very badly." - Booklist

Author's Note:

This book went out of print after only nine months, when the publisher restructured. It has a special place in my heart and is a successful read-aloud for boys (really!) as well as girls. About wanting something very badly and sorting out the difference between needs and wants. About connections across generations. Available from the author.