We got this rug for our kids
 playroom and I couldn't be
 more pleased. It is soft for
 the kids to play on. The cream
 colored background has lots of
 little specks of color in it
 so I am not paranoid about
 normal kid spills and messes
 ruining the look of the rug.
 It did shed for the first few
 weeks. There is no odd smell.
 It is thick and stays in
 place. We love this rug!