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Summary
Summary
From the creator of Max and Ruby comes a quiet, sweet-natured guinea pig who stands up to teasing with a tip from his bold new friend.
Felix has a new best friend! With take-charge Fiona, anything seems possible, and before Felix knows it, she sweeps him into singing and dancing with her as pixies in the Guinea Pig Jubilee talent show. But right after Felix's first-prize triumph, trouble waits in the wings. "Twinkletoes!" someone taunts, and Felix crumbles. Can he pull himself together and face down the bullies? With a little help from Fiona, can Felix find a magic key that unlocks the secret to standing up--to anyone ?
Author Notes
Rosemary Wells was born in New York City on January 29, 1943. She studied at the Museum School in Boston. Without her degree, she left school at the age of 19 to get married. She began her career in publishing, working as an art editor and designer first at Allyn and Bacon and later at Macmillan Publishing.
She is an author and illustrator of over 60 books for children and young adults. Her first book was an illustrated edition of Gilbert and Sullivan's I Have a Song to Sing-O. Her other works include Martha's Birthday, The Fog Comes on Little Pig Feet, Unfortunately Harriet, Mary on Horseback, and Timothy Goes to School. She also created the characters of Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko, which are featured in some of her books. She has won numerous awards including a Children's Book Council Award for Noisy Nora in 1974, the Edgar Allan Poe award for two young adult books, Through the Looking Glass and When No One Was Looking, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Shy Charles.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Fearless, determined, and blunt, Fiona has decided that Felix will be her new best friend. That's good, because Fiona's gumption is a tonic for cautious, mild-mannered Felix-in fact, she pushes him to enter a talent show with her as a song-and-dance team, and they win first prize. But there's a downside: Felix suddenly has a higher profile at school, and he becomes the target of bullies who taunt him with cries of "Here comes Twinkletoes," tie his gym shoes together, and even put "a chirping plastic cricket" in his egg-salad sandwich. "Felix, you're a hot mess," Fiona tells him, hilariously if not entirely helpfully. But thanks to a little mentoring from Fiona (which includes the use of one of her invisible "Magic Protection Suits"), Felix learns to stand tall and gains the confidence to put his relationship with Fiona on more equal footing. With a cast of guinea pigs who correspond to instantly recognizable human types, this series opener from Max and Ruby creator Wells humorously captures the fluidity of social dynamics-and proves that it's possible to captain one's own destiny. Ages 5-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Felix (Felix and the Worrier) and more-confident Fiona win first prize for their singing-and-dancing pixie act at the Guinea Pig Jubilee. Felix's pride is short-lived, however, when he's teased at school. With Fiona's invisible Magic Protection Suit, Felix finds the courage to "stand tall." Wells's reassuring watercolor and pencil illustrations keep the tone light in this anti-bullying narrative. Endpapers feature costume sewing patterns. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Felix's new best friend, Fiona, signs them up for the talent show. Though reluctant, he dresses as a pixie, performs a song-and-dance number, and feels proud when they win. At school, three bullies call him Twinkletoes and make fun of the performance. Mama's advice (stand tall) doesn't help much, but after Fiona fiercely stares down the bullies, she shares her secret: an invisible suit of armor and she gives Felix one of his own. Now feeling courageous, he scares off his former tormentors and even manages to stand up to Fiona when she suggests twin cupcake costumes for Halloween. Created with watercolors and aquarelle pencil, Wells' illustrations feature endearing animal characters. The story is tautly written, and while the scene in which the bullies flee from Felix feels like a moment of fantasy, the ending is more convincing, down-to-earth, and original. The notion of a shy protagonist standing up for himself in order to fend off a friend's goofy ideas is an interesting twist on the theme of self-assurance. Fine for reading aloud.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Wells, known for portraying adorable fuzzy-faced animal characters with endearing and oftentimes assertive qualities, introduces Felix, an agreeable guinea pig who becomes immediate best friends with Fiona. The minute the bond is established, Fiona declares that her new buddy will join her in the big talent show as a pixie at the Guinea Pig Jubilee. She never gives Felix much of a choice when she teaches him the Texas slide step and how to in-line dance in costume, but far worse is when he is teased as being a "Twinkletoes" and mercilessly bullied by classmates. Only when Felix learns what it means to "stand tall" and face his antagonists with a "Magic Protection Suit" does he rise above his circumstances, even voicing his own opinion to slightly bossy Fiona. Wells's characteristic illustrations are enhanced to a meaningful level with a story that emphasizes how to meet the challenges of bullying without fighting back by tongue or fist. At a time when bullying is on the rise from as early as preschool, this book serves a vital purpose, further demonstrating minimal parental involvement beyond Mama Guinea Pig urging her "angel" to "stand tall" and face his own problems. VERDICT A worthy addition to memorable picture books about bullying and self-worth, like Helen Lester's Hooway for Wodney Wat (HMH, 2002) and Anna Dewdney's Llama, Llama and the Bully Goat (Viking, 2013).-Etta Anton, Yeshiva of Central Queens, NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A sweet little story about the power of friendship and learning to stand upto anyone! Felix's new best friend, bold and fearless Fiona, convinces him to dress up as a pixie and sing and dance with her for the Guinea Pig Jubilee talent show. When they win first prize, Felix "swells with pride." But the bullies at school are ready to pounce! "Here comes Twinkletoes!" they tease. "Dimples made fun of Felix's Texas slide step." And Minkie puts a Slime Creeper down his shirt. Felix runs home to his mama, and she tells him he has to stand tall. But Felix doesn't know how. Fortunately, Fiona comes to the rescue with her Magic Protection Suit. Clad in the "light as a feather but strong" suit, Felix discovers newfound bravery. He glares at the bullies through his invisible visor and pounds his invisible lance on the sidewalk with a Clang! and "the troublemakers melt away like snow." However, the real test comes when Fiona suggests twin cupcake costumes for Halloween. The details in Wells' illustrations showcase Felix's and Fiona's different personalities brilliantly and cleverly stretch the story out to the endpapers. Concise and kid-appropriate language combines with darling drawings (who can resist cute little guinea pigs?) for another feather in Wells' literary cap. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
