How Mr. Felix Entered a Bicycle Race

Gr 1-3–Mr. Felix is a quirky but otherwise ordinary man living surrounded by trinkets and piles of boxes, a man who knows many wild, wacky facts and hangs out on the steps in front of the college library chatting with students. When the Grand Bicycle Race queues up at the front plaza, a student asks him whether he’s racing. Mr. Felix demands a bib number and is soon passing everyone else in the race. After pausing for a lemonade at the Two Cannon Inn, he rejoins the race and passes everyone again. But before reaching the finish line, he abandons the race to freshen up with a dip in a lake, stripping to his underwear and plunging in. Svetina’s peculiar tale is a translated 2016 Slovenian title. Donati’s lively illustrations feature flattened, exaggerated figures, muted colors, and balanced use of individual details.