Filbert, the Good Little Fiend

PreS-Gr 1—Oram takes on a tried-and-true theme in this pleasant but unexceptional outing. Little Fiend Filbert disappoints his monstrous parents and teacher because he is entirely too good. After he behaves well one too many times, Miss Fearsome-Frizz sends him outside to the "grassy Good Spot" where a poorly behaved little angel bumps into a tree and lands near him. Filbert dons Florinda's wings, halo, and dress, while she tries on his Max-esque horned, tailed, and clawed furry outfit. They return to their respective classrooms, prompting their teachers to beg them to go back to being themselves, and they become best friends. The text reads aloud smoothly, despite an overuse of capital letters to emphasize words. The brightly colored fiend family is reminiscent of the characters in the film version of Shrek, and the saturated hues are eye-catching. Busy, flowery borders around a few text pages don't marry well with the story, but touches like the clothes exchange, done in comiclike panels, work well, and Filbert's horned suit is particularly appealing. The story is amusing, if didactic, and the intended audience will enjoy it. Nevertheless, from Munro Leaf's Ferdinand to Leo Lionni's Cornelius to Kevin Henkes's Lilly to Ellen Stoll Walsh's frog Betsy, picture-book characters have been standing up for self-acceptance for years, and this adds nothing new to the canon.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT