Felix's Hat

Philomena's brothers and sisters secretly call her Philomeany when she is in a bad mood, but she overhears them and sets out to prove what a terrific sister she really is by whipping up a batch of brownies.

PreSchool-Grade 2-- Felix and his family face a crisis when the young frog loses his baseball cap on an outing, and refuses to take a bath or go to bed without it. Disaster is averted by some great parenting and strong sibling support. The family relationships ring happy, healthy, and true. A satisfying preschool read-aloud, Felix's Hat will also tickle primary graders. The watercolor cartoon illustrations are delightfully rich in humorous detail. They do for frogs what Bambi did for deer, and almost as much as what Charlotte's Web did for spiders--. . . readers will never look at these amphibians in quite the same way again. --Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

These collaborators clearly understand that an ordinary item can have extraordinary sentimental value, as exemplified here by Felix Frog's orange baseball cap. One day, the amphibian family visits the pond, where Felix, reclining on an inner tube, capriciously imagines himself as "a Cheerio in a bowl of milk." Catastrophe occurs: the tube overturns on a rock, and only after Felix paddles back to shore does he realize his hat is missing. Watchful readers will see the lost toque as it floats out of sight, but Felix and his family are not so lucky. The green fellow is inconsolable until his big brother, who once had a prized baseball hat of his own, comes up with a magical solution. With scenes reminiscent of real family life (the parent-offspring dynamics here are especially winning), Gruenberg and Bancroft--in her debut--imbue each member of the clan with a distinct personality. The somewhat unpromising jacket art aside, this expressive story will maintain its enjoyability through many rereadings. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

When Felix loses his favorite orange visored cap on a trip to the pond, his family is wonderfully sympathetic: teenage Philomena takes him out in a boat to look for it; little Freda offers to share her teddy at bedtime; and Mommy tells Felix a comforting story--but it's big brother Frank who comes up with the gift that helps Felix fall asleep that night: ``Here, buddy, it's my old red hat that I won at the County Fair.'' What makes this story special--and deliciously funny--is that the characters are frogs who stand as erect as humans, and certainly exhibit human behavior, but are also very frog-like when they get among the lily pads. The lively, well-honed text is sprinkled with amusing details (Felix in an inner tube pretending to be a Cheerio in milk, etc.); Gruenberg's illustrations, in delicate pen lines and bright watercolors with a green theme, are warm with humor and a keen understanding of the family scene. A fine debut for this new team. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.