Wizzil - Softcover

Steig, William

3.48

236 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747550980 ISBN 13: 9780747550983

Publisher: Bloomsbury Pub Ltd, 2002

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Wizzil is bored. She has nothing to do and she NEEDS something to do. So she sets off down to Frimp Farm to annoy old DeWitt Frimp. She does this by turning herself into a fly. Soon things have got out of hand and she has turned herself into a glove to annoy him even further. When DeWitt finally realises that the glove is bewitched he dumps it in the river. But witches hate water and soon DeWitt has to come to her rescue - a rescue in more ways than one as Wizzil and DeWitt soon find that antagonism turns to romance. Illustrated with wit and effervescent energy by one of Britain's best loved illustrators, this lunatic and wonderful 'love' story is totally enchanting. "Brilliantly realised by Quentin Blake in his typically laugh-aloud illustrations." - "Independent". "William Steig, a wonderfully off-the-wall American writer is perfectly partnered by Quentin Blake in "Wizzil". - "Sunday Telegraph". "Knockabout humour and saucy surprises fill the pages of William Steig's "Wizzil". - "Junior Education".

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Review:

Wizzil the horrible hag is bored stiff until her parrot not-so-sweetly suggests that she amuse herself by making somebody suffer, specifically the Frimps. Taking the bird's advice, she transmogrifies into a common housefly and zizzes over to Frimp Farm. Old DeWitt Frimp, who deplores flies, is armed with a flyswatter and misses the fly-witch by a hair. Wizzil vows revenge.

Now, at least no longer bored, she decides to turn herself into a glove and lie in wait for the unwitting DeWitt. Sure enough, he puts it on right away, considering himself a lucky man to have made such a discovery. With the glove on, he soon finds that he can hit everything but flies with his flyswatter. Worse yet, Fred and Florence Frimp begin to experience "unbearable itches in unexpected places." When meatballs begin to explode, DeWitt finally realizes that the rash of bad luck started with the glove, and he throws it in the river.

How could he have known that the glove would transform into the hideous Wizzil as soon as it hit the water? Or that Wizzil, unused to water, would start to sink? DeWitt, a good soul, jumps right in to rescue her, even though she is quite nasty. But what's this? Her nastiness washes downstream, and Wizzil is left a sweet old lady in his arms. "Needless to say, Wizzil and DeWitt fell completely in love, and wound up an old married couple who stayed together on the farm." And Wizzil was never bored stiff again. (Though the parrot found her new life with humans a bit humdrum.)

William Steig--New Yorker cartoonist and creator of numerous picture books, including the Caldecott Medalist Sylvester and the Magic Pebble --is up to his usual tricks in this quirky story. Made-up words like "zizzes," odd colloquial expressions, and goofy plot twists add up to not only unmitigated delight but a complete lack of condescension in his writing for young readers. British illustrator Quentin Blake's scratchy, fluid, comical pictures--loaded with as many knee-slapping details as the story--are the perfect accompaniment to Steig's silly, romantic tale of the power of love to vaporize boredom and mean-spiritedness. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

From the Inside Flap:

Wizzil is bored stiff. So with a little coaxing from Beatrice, her parrot, she turns herself into a common housefly and heads on over to Frimp Farm to stir up some trouble. Little does she know, DeWitt Frimp hates all breeds of fly, especially Musca domestica, and Wizzil narrowly escapes his swatter. Wasting no time at all, she cooks up a nasty plan to teach DeWitt a lesson -- but in the end, Wizzil finds something much sweeter than revenge...

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