We show that the following two problems are fixed-parameter tractable with parameter k: testing whether a connected n-vertex graph with m edges has a square root with at most n − 1 + k edges and testing whether such a graph has a square root with at least m − k edges. Our first result implies that squares of graphs obtained from trees by adding at most k edges can be recognized in polynomial time for every fixed k ≥ 0; previously this result was known only for k = 0. Our second result is equivalent to stating that deciding whether a graph can be modified into a square root of itself by at most k edge deletions is fixed-parameter tractable with parameter k.