Felix Stands Tall

Description

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?

Rosemary Wells has written and/or illustrated more than 120 books for children and has received many awards. She is the author-illustrator of Stella's Starliner and Love Waves, the creator of the beloved Max and Ruby stories, and the illustrator of My Very First Mother Goose and Here Comes Mother Goose, both edited by Iona Opie. Rosemary Wells lives in a small town in New England.

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. -Kirkus Reviews 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). -School Library Journal 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. -Publishers Weekly 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. -Booklist Online Felix personifies the problems that most children face, and provides a useful conversation starter about bullying and standing up for oneself. -School Library Connection