Felix Feels Better [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

Acclaimed author-illustrator Rosemary Wells offers a spoonful of picture book pleasure that will have everyone feeling better!


Felix ate too many chocolate blimpies, and he doesn’t feel well. Not even Mama’s dose of sugared prunes helps him feel "perkier". So off to Doctor Duck he must go. "Don’t be afraid, my little moonbeam", says Mama. But Felix is afraid.
Best-selling author and illustrator Rosemary Wells applies her rare ability to tell a funny, heartfelt story about a common childhood experience: going to the doctor. Comforting and friendly, Doctor Duck—whom readers first met in HERE COMES MOTHER GOOSE—takes a star turn in FELIX FEELS BETTER, and Wells’s inimitable artwork will delight small children and reassure even the most reluctant young patient.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Reprising characters glimpsed in Here Comes Mother Goose, the incomparable Wells stages one of childhood's most commonplace dramas a trip to the doctor and presents it with such gentleness that the experience becomes soothing instead of scary. Once again she demonstrates her supreme economy: the words are few, leading the audience into the artwork for the full story. The tale opens with Felix, a guinea pig, whooping it up, jumping on his bed and flinging his toys about with happy abandon: "At bedtime Felix ate too many chocolate blimpies and stayed up way too late." As Felix suffers the after-effects the next day, his mother offers various remedies (chamomile tea, sugared prunes) before calling Doctor Duck, who perches atop his desk, barely bigger than his telephone. Felix is afraid, but Doctor Duck lets Felix's mother stay with him, then performs a painless examination and doses Felix with "two spoonfuls of Happy Tummy." Evoking the days of radio and rotary phones, the curving images in the pictures suggest comfort as they echo the mother's rounded, embracing figure. Doctor Duck, in a red and white polka-dot bow tie and pinstriped vest under his white jacket, his spectacles midway down his bill, seems always to be smiling; Felix, meanwhile, is allowed to look nervous. Children in the throes of minor illness as well as those who worry about visiting the doctor will find this reassuring book a welcome Rx. Ages 2-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-The morning after a little guinea pig eats "too many chocolate blimpies" and stays up past his bedtime, he is not his usual perky self. Mama tries to help him feel better, but when he does not make "his motorcycle noises" while playing outside, she realizes that something is wrong. Felix is afraid to visit Doctor Duck, but Mama stays with him the whole time, and after two spoonfuls of "Happy Tummy" and a good nap, he feels much better. This charming story reads beautifully, and subtly deals with children's fears. Felix is an adorable fellow and Wells expertly portrays his every mood through her art. Her delightful watercolor-and-ink illustrations add warmth and character to the tale. A perfect choice for reading aloud or for one-on-one sharing.-Melinda Piehler, North Tonawanda Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1 edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763606391
• ISBN-13: 978-0763606398
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,176,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner for Rosemary Wells!, September 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Felix Feels Better (Hardcover)

"Felix Feels Better" tells the story of a little guinea pig's first visit to the doctor with sensitivity and understanding. The text is simple and straightforward, making it easy for a young listener to relate to the plight of the little piggie who eats too many treats before bedtime, then wakes up feeling "not very perky." Rosemary Wells' pictures are a perfect accompaniment to the text. The smallest child will see himself and his fears in going to the doctor for the first time eased by the gentle story of Felix and Dr. Duck, as Felix literally bounces back by the end of the book!

5.0 out of 5 stars One of our favorites!, January 24, 2012

By 

Mrs. Pennyloafer (Fairbanks, AK USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Felix Feels Better (Hardcover)

We checked this cute book out of the library and fell in love with it! The author's choice of words matches the adorable illustrations. We have adopted the phrase, "Not feeling perkier" when anyone is sick at our house.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very cute, September 2, 2009

By 

P. Smith (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Felix Feels Better (Paperback)

Very cute. Felix eats too much chocolate and goes to bed too late and the next day does not feel well. His mother tries several cures, but finally takes him to the doctor. My favorite part is when she bundles him up and takes him outside and puts him on his motorcycle to get some fresh air. But she doesn't hear Felix make any motorcycle noises so she knows something is not right! Wow, does Rosemay Wells know kids, or what? They end up going to Dr. Duck which seems like it might be a little scary... but it isn't.

My three-year-old asks me to read this one again and again.