It is the second book in a series that Lowry wrote about Anastasia and her younger brother Sam.

When Mrs. Krupnik announces that she only wants homemade gifts for her birthday, Sam's older sister Anastasia decides to write their mother a poem, while Sam opts to make a perfume.

He begins collecting various things that his mother says she likes the smell of, storing them in a grape juice bottle.

Despite this, Sam continues making the perfume, hoping it will start smelling better.

"[1] While a review in Publishers Weekly found the book generally enjoyable (in particular, praising the relationship between Sam and Anastasia), it wrote that the book's target age range was unclear, with Anastasia's subplot more fitting for older readers.