Felix and Alexander by Terry Denton

Children's Book Council past Winner  

this one is truly a TREASURE!

Image source: https://store.cbca.org.au/sheet-of-short-list-stickers

This is my fourth post about past CBCA winners and short list treasures. Click these to read the previous posts. Post one, post two and post three.

In 1986 Felix and Alexander won the Picture Book of the Year award and it has remained a firm favourite of mine. Sadly it is out of print. This is a book that needs to be reprinted so it can be shared with a new generation of children. Today Terry Denton is very famous for his collaboration with Andy Griffiths on the Treehouse books but earlier in his career Terry did scrumptious colour picture books like this one and another I long to find again - The story of Imelda, who was small - by Morris Lurie. He also illustrated Night Noises by Mem Fox.

I like to begin a discussion of Felix and Alexander with a discussion about the cover.  Can we predict - Who is Felix? Who is Alexander? Where are they? What time is it? How do you know?

"Alexander lived in a block of flats in the big city. Even though he was not allowed to have a real pet, he had Felix, a toy dog. Felix was Alexander's best friend and always laughed at Alexander's jokes"

Now compare our answers with what we discover here on the first page. Alexander is the boy, Felix is the dog and they live in a block of flats in the city. But have you noticed the twist - Felix laughs at Alexander's jokes! They must have a very special relationship.

By page five we reach the twist. Alexander sets off for his usual afternoon city walk (without Felix) but on this particular day Alexander does not come home. Felix packs "his torch into his suitcase" and sets off to find his friend. It is late afternoon and the night is not far away.  As climbs through the fence a nail catches his side.

"Tiny balls of stuffing like pale pink pearls fell from the tear. Clutching his side, Felix ran into the street."

Felix walks through the dark streets and the buildings begin to look quite sinister. There is a scream and Felix sees his friend in the grip of a monster. Resourceful Felix turns the monster to stone using his torch but now the two friends are totally lost.  How can they find their way home. Can you make a link with Hansel and Gretel?

I love the final page:

"After giving him some new extra stuffing, Alexander sewed up the little tear in Felix's side ... For a long time after, Felix would always feel a little stitch in his side when he laughed too hard at Alexander's jokes, and he would remember their adventure in the streets of the city."