Fritz and the Mess Fairy [Hardcover]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Fritz, a master at creating terrible messes, meets his match when his science project goes wrong and the Mess Fairy emerges.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Not unlike the star of Wells's enchanting Max books, Fritz, a disheveled young skunk, has a knack for finding trouble. Fritz's mischief is of the messy sort: when asked to clean his room, he stuffs under the bed a month's worth of laundry, dirty dishes, spoons and piles of old Halloween candy. At dinner he throws peas and raisins on the floor and slips potatoes under his seat cushion. But the messiest coup of all occurs when Fritz attempts a project for the science fair. He mixes together some unlikely ingredients, and "a once-in-a-lifetime chemical change" makes the Mess Fairy appear. Kids will relish the fact that the chaos created by this bewitching character makes Fritz look like the rankest amateur in the slob department. An unexpected twist caps this spirited tale, illustrated with Wells's distinctive watercolors that brim with droll details. As ever, her childlike sensibilities and zany sense of humor are perfectly on target. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

The strange bedfellows that occur in creative disorder are always good for a laugh; Wells makes the device even funnier here by compounding it. Fritz, a badger, stows the mess in his room under the bed and the food he doesn't like under his seat cushion; then he makes havoc of his family's belongings as he gathers supplies for his science project. Suddenly, his experiment invokes the Mess Fairy--a winged pig who emerges like a genie from his beaker and goes on to flights of messiness that appall even Fritz. Fortunately, he figures out how to reverse his inadvertent spell, then embarks on a night-long frenzy of putting everything back to rights before fixing his family a magnificent breakfast. This isn't Wells at her most imaginative, but she makes the most of a proven theme, capturing the subtleties of Fritz's reactions as well as the broader humor and offering a final comical turn that lightens its message. Fine for group sharing. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (September 2, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803709811
• ISBN-13: 978-0803709812
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,055,767 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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Creative Tale Full of Wit and Humor, January 31, 2006

By 

Sherry Ellis - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fritz and the Mess Fairy (Paperback)

Rosemary Wells spins a creative tale of a messy character named Fritz, and an unlikely fairy who does exactly what one would expect a fairy not to do, in Fritz and the Mess Fairy. Young children and their parents can relate to the chaos that follows young Fritz everywhere he goes. The book is full of humor and playful illustrations that make it enjoyable to read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clean Up Your Room., October 12, 2003

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Fritz and the Mess Fairy (Hardcover)

Fritz is a little skunk who hates to clean, says he will do things then forgets, is a procrastinator, and gets in trouble a lot. Then one night after making a terrible mess and getting yelled at by his father, mother, and sister, Fritz is awaken by the Mess Fairy: a creature brought to life by Fritz's last minute science experiment. The Mess Fairy makes a mess bigger than anything Fritz ever could do. However, Fritz learns an important lesson through the experience and vows to be a little more cleanly in the future.

The illustrations that accompany the text are good and children enjoy reading the story. I especially liked how the author used a skunk as the main character, playing with the way skunks naturally smell. This is a good story to read to children who have a difficult time picking up after themselves at home and makes a nice bed time story.