Wizzil - Softcover

Steig, William

Softcover

ISBN 10: 125005673X ISBN 13: 9781250056733

Publisher: Square Fish, 2015

Synopsis

An exciting collaboration

Wizzil, a witch, is bored stiff. So with some coaxing from Beatrice, her parrot, she turns herself into a common housefly and heads over to Frimp farm to stir up trouble. Little does she know, DeWitt Frimp absolutely hates all breeds of fly, especially Musca domestica, and Wizzil narrowly escapes a life-threatening swatting. Wasting no time at all, she cooks up a nasty plan to teach DeWitt a lesson: she turns herself into a glove, which DeWitt finds and proudly wears, but which also deprives him of the ability to aim his flyswatter. Steig's playful storytelling voice is in full gear in this tale, and Quentin Blake's hilarious, antic pictures are a perfect match for the text.

About this title

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...

About this edition

• Publisher: Square Fish
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 125005673X
• ISBN 13: 9781250056733
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Blake Quentin