The Amazing Felix Ages 4-8

The Amazing Felix
By Emily Arnold McCully
Edition: illustrated Published by Putnam's, 1993
ISBN 0399224289, 9780399224287
32 pages
Journeying from 1920s New York to London aboard a fancy ocean liner, Felix finds himself in trouble with his father, a world-famous pianist, when he does not practice his music but spends his time learning magical tricks from Senor Presto, the magician.

An old-fashioned tale of kids making ...... their not-so-ordinary way among the rich and famous. En route to Europe in the 20's, Felix--enjoined by his concert-pianist Papa to ``Practice, practice''--despairs of ever playing as well as sister Fanny; but he does learn some prestidigitation from a magician aboard ship. In England, while Papa plays a command performance, Fanny and three other children ("cousins of a duchess'') get trapped in a castle tower. Following the sound of music, Felix runs for help; then, while Papa interrupts his playing to rescue the frightened children, Felix mollifies and amuses his audience, finally making the delightful discovery that Papa wants to learn to palm a coin, too ("With your fingers, it ought to be a cinch,'' Felix allows). It's an unlikely but satisfying fantasy, with handsome pictures of the elegant ocean liner and country house, and lush impressionistic settings accented with the dramatic black of pianos and tuxedos--while Felix's chance to advise Papa to "practice, practice'' makes the perfect denouement. (Picture book. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) ... more » Kirkus Reviews Copyright (c) VNU Business Media, Inc.

Caldecott winner McCully ( Mirette on the High Wire ) captures the elegance of the 1920s with sprightly prose and effervescent illustrations. Felix's famous pianist father departs for a world tour, leaving behind the instructions ``You must practice.'' Sister Fanny throws herself into a Bach fugue while Felix doubts his talents and feels ``a surge of joy--and a clap of dread!'' at the thought of seeing his father again. Aboard a fancy ocean liner, however, he discovers a new pastime and hopes to impress his father with a magic trick or two. As it happens, he saves Fanny from the cold clutches of a castle tower and wins hearts with his sure-handed magic performance. The story is weakened by a single ill-defined but pivotal moment, yet is otherwise well paced and filled with snatches of warm humor and insight. With McCully's subtle but expert use of color, water shimmers aqua, ladies' gowns rustle. Finely tuned for the most part, it is unfortunate that the female characters are less than inspiring. Mother barely features and Fanny gets nothing for all her practice and perseverance. Ages 4-8. Copyright 1993 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
BooklistFrom Booklist, 1993, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
/*STARRED REVIEW*/ Ages 4-8. Felix and his sister, Fanny, board an ocean liner with their mother for the voyage to England, where the family will be reunited with the father, a concert pianist on a world tour. Admonished by the father to "practice, practice, practice" until he sees them again, Fanny dutifully practices piano for hours, but Felix's imagination is caught by a shipboard magician, who teaches him a magic trick and offers the same advice his father gave. "Practice, practice, practice." Later, when the lack of piano practice puts Felix on the spot, his skill as a magician saves him from revealing his ineptness as a musician. As in her Caldecott-winning Mirette on the Highwire (1992), McCully handles watercolors with facility and panache, using impressionistic dapples of color to delineate forms. The 1920s settings on board ship and in an English castle lend themselves to a variety of intriguing illustrations, but even more impressive are her subtle characterizations of adults and children. McCully's original story, with its involving pictures and sense of childhood concerns, is an especially fine choice for reading aloud. (Reviewed Oct. 1, 1993) Carolyn Phelan.