Wizzil

by William Steig Narrated by John McDonough

Overview

Wizzil the witch is very, very bored. When her bossy parrot suggests that she find someone to bother, Wizzil turns herself into a fly and buzzes off to do some mischief to the funky Frimp family. But mischief has a way of backfiring, and one spell often leads to another. It's not long before Wizzil has changed so much, she can hardly recognize herself. The zany witch's misadventures, and the sunny conclusion to her story, will quickly have you laughing out loud. Beloved author and cartoonist William Steig, winner of many Newbery and Caldecott awards, has delighted readers of all ages with books like Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and The Mud Flat Mystery. Enhanced by John McDonough's charming narration, Wizzil is sure to be a favorite story, one you will want to share with all your friends.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Two masters of children's literature turn in an amiable, if not groundbreaking, performance in this madcap witch story. Bored, Wizzil the witch heeds her pet parrot's suggestion to "go make somebody suffer!" She transforms herself into a fly and relentlessly pesters an ornery old coot named DeWitt Frimp. Observing that DeWitt is a leftie, Wizzil returns the next day in the form of a left-handed work glove; when DeWitt puts the "happy harpy on his hand," his arm misbehaves. The moment of truth arrives when DeWitt hurls the glove into the river, whereupon Wizzil is revealed--and true love blooms. Steig, whose Made for Each Other took a clear-eyed look at sentiment, cuts the romantic sweetness with an ample squeeze of sour lemon. He toys with tongue-twisters and kid-pleasing insults (DeWitt is a "bald-headed fuddy-dud"; Wizzil's a "hateful hag"). Blake (Clown) composes spiky, energetic line-drawings of DeWitt, who flails clumsily at the offending fly, and Wizzil, who struggles and spits when she lands in the water. In the wryly happy ending, newt-brown and froggy-green watercolor hues give way to sunny shades of yellow and blue. Steig and Blake start with unrefined nastiness, then blindside their characters (and readers) with a comical but sincere look at love. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

School Library Journal

K-Gr 4-Bored, Wizzil the witch is encouraged by her scheming parrot Beatrice to cause mischief down at the Frimp Farm. Old DeWitt Frimp has a fly fetish and swats the little buggers every chance he gets. That is, until Wizzil, who has coincidentally transformed herself into a fly, takes offense at a few of his near misses. In order to exact her revenge, she then becomes an appealing work glove that DeWitt happens to find. It bedevils the man's fly swatting and generally causes havoc around the farm. When DeWitt is finally driven to dispose of it in a nearby creek, the glove becomes a drowning old woman, whom he rescues. This act of kindness causes the witch to metamorphose from a "hateful hag" into a sweet old lady washed clean of her former "vicious nastiness." The true love that blossoms between this geriatric pair is brought to fruition with enough high jinks and humor so as not to repel unromantic youngsters. Blake's lively watercolor cartoons, filled with humorous detail, are a delightful companion to this ultimately good-natured tale of transformation and rebirth.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Revenge can backfire as Wizzil the witch finds out in Steig's irreverent morality tale. Wizzil is a bored, mean, old witch who has fun making people suffer. Turning herself into a fly, she almost meets death by a flyswatter wielded by DeWitt Frimp, an elderly man who lives with his son and daughter-in-law and spends his days swatting flies. In revenge, Wizzil turns herself into a glove that Frimp loves and wears day and night. Working her magic, Wizzil makes his fly-swatting skill disappear and Frimp is enraged. In addition, Wizzil causes meatballs to explode, glasses of water to spurt up like fountains, and the whole house to shake. Realizing that the glove is the culprit, DeWitt sadly throws the glove into a stream, whereupon Wizzil is transformed into a drowning old lady. DeWitt jumps in and saves her and they live happily ever after. Blake's watercolor and pen-and-ink drawings are filled with action and humor. These two are masters of this genre and together they are unstoppable. Sophisticated, they are never over the heads of the children and the adults who will enjoy Wizzil together. (Picture book. 4-8)

From the Publisher

Old Wizzel the witch's hair sticks up from her head in unkempt spikes; her chosen victim, retired farmer DeWitt Frimp, is bald,; but both author and illustrator have let their hair down for this tale of mischief, revenge, and redemption . . . In short, Wizzil is literary ambrosia. Blake's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, full of energy and humor and movement are sublime.” —Starred, The Horn Book

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170934072
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	02/15/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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