Wizzil

By: William Steig, Quentin Blake

An exciting collaboration

Wizzil, a witch, is bored stiff. So, with some coaxing from Beatrice, her parrot, she turns herself into a common housefly and heads over to Frimp farm to stir up trouble. Little does she know, DeWitt Frimp absolutely hates all breeds of fly, especially Musca domestica, and Wizzil narrowly escapes a life-threatening swatting. Wasting no time at all, she cooks up a nasty plan to teach DeWitt a lesson: she turns herself into a glove, which DeWitt finds and proudly wears, but which also deprives him of the ability to aim his flyswatter. Steig's playful storytelling voice is in full gear in his latest tale, and Quentin Blakes hilarious, antic pictures are a perfect match for the text.

Critic reviews

“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