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Wedgie & Gizmo #1
Wedgie & Gizmo
Fans of Stick Dog and My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish will love Suzanne Selfors’s hilarious new illustrated series about the growing pains of blended families and the secret rivalry of pets . “A delightfully fun read that will leave you in stitches!”—Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat When a bouncy, barky dog and an evil genius guinea pig move into the same house, the laughs are nonstop! Wedgie is so excited, he can’t stop barking. He LOVES having new siblings and friends to protect. He LOVES guinea pigs like Gizmo! He also LOVES treats! But Gizmo does not want to share his loyal human servant with a rump-sniffing beast! He does not want to live in a pink Barbie Playhouse. Or to be kissed and hugged by the girl human. Gizmo is an evil genius. He wants to take over the world and make all humans feel his wrath. But first he must destroy his archenemy, Wedgie, once and for all!
176 pages, Hardcover
Published August 22, 2017
131 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Selfors
67 books844 followersSuzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
January 31, 2018
“Elliot puts my poop in a bag and carries it around. He must like the smell of poop as much as I do. And because I’m a superhero, my poop smells super poopy!”
This book is totally and absolutely adorable. I laughed out loud repeatedly. Can’t wait to get this into the hands of my students!
Why is it so funny? It’s smart and sassy humor, from alternating perspective of a dog who LOVES (everything) and a mastermind guinea pig.
This is the ENTIRE text from chapter 10:
“I’M GETTING A TREAT! A TREAT! A TREAT!
Give me that treat. Give me that treat right now. I want it. I want that treat!
Oh boy, I just got a treat!”
If that doesn’t crack you up... here’s another gem:
“Elliot sits on the carpet and that is when I make another important discovery. There is an elderly human who lives in the house. They call her Abuela. I observe her for a few minutes. Like me, she wears glasses. Like me, she issues orders and her human servants obey. She appears to have a throne.”
Read this. Animal lovers will go crazy for it and you will even hear that kid with the best sense of humor chuckling his way through it. 3rd-5th graders, don’t miss it!
This book is totally and absolutely adorable. I laughed out loud repeatedly. Can’t wait to get this into the hands of my students!
Why is it so funny? It’s smart and sassy humor, from alternating perspective of a dog who LOVES (everything) and a mastermind guinea pig.
This is the ENTIRE text from chapter 10:
“I’M GETTING A TREAT! A TREAT! A TREAT!
Give me that treat. Give me that treat right now. I want it. I want that treat!
Oh boy, I just got a treat!”
If that doesn’t crack you up... here’s another gem:
“Elliot sits on the carpet and that is when I make another important discovery. There is an elderly human who lives in the house. They call her Abuela. I observe her for a few minutes. Like me, she wears glasses. Like me, she issues orders and her human servants obey. She appears to have a throne.”
Read this. Animal lovers will go crazy for it and you will even hear that kid with the best sense of humor chuckling his way through it. 3rd-5th graders, don’t miss it!
May 10, 2018
Cute kid’s book told from the alternating POVs of Gizmo the evil genius guinea pig and Wedgie the super corgi. Audiobook was really fun to listen to. The narrator did a great job with the voices of all the characters.
June 12, 2020
My kids love these books. The audio is hilarious!
March 28, 2024
This was surprisingly adorable and I absolutely recommend if you're in a reading slump or have young children in your life!!
The audiobook was delightful and so perfectly executed with a different male narrator for both Wedgie and Gizmo. But the ebook was also essential for all of the illustrations that were basically on every other page!
From Gizmo's Barbie Dreamhouse turned Evil Lair, to the aptly dubbed Pool of a Thousand Pees (lmao, but also oh noooo) I had such a fun laugh with this throwaway buddy read for Realmathon 3.0!!
The audiobook was delightful and so perfectly executed with a different male narrator for both Wedgie and Gizmo. But the ebook was also essential for all of the illustrations that were basically on every other page!
From Gizmo's Barbie Dreamhouse turned Evil Lair, to the aptly dubbed Pool of a Thousand Pees (lmao, but also oh noooo) I had such a fun laugh with this throwaway buddy read for Realmathon 3.0!!
January 14, 2018
I don't usually read junior fiction. I have nothing against this genre- there's usually so many books from the adult and young adult fiction collections I have on my TBR that consume all of my reading time. However, I couldn't help but stop when I saw this book on display. I ADORE corgis with my entire marshmallow-soft heart. I didn't even read the synopsis before racing over to the issues desk.
I'm happy to report that Wedgie and Gizmo was exactly what I needed to boost my spirits.
Wedgie the corgi and Gizmo the guinea pig are thrown together when their owners Jasmine and Elliot move into the same house. While the children deal with the change of having a new half sibling and step parent, Wedgie struggles to protect the family and Gizmo attempts to get rid of the corgi. Can everyone learn to accept their new situations?
The book alternates in chapters told from Wedgie's and Gizmo's points of view. The voices of these characters are distinctive; especially Wedgie's in the repetition and simplicity of the language. The pets' narratives are intertwined with dialogue from the humans which add real world context to Wedgie's and Gizmo's interpretation of events.
The illustrations dispersed throughout the book brought many smiles to my face. They complimented and added additional information to the story.
I wished that I could have spent more time with Jasmine and the parents, but expect this to happen in the sequel.
Wedgie and Gizmo is a delight sure to enchant children and adults alike!
I'm happy to report that Wedgie and Gizmo was exactly what I needed to boost my spirits.
Wedgie the corgi and Gizmo the guinea pig are thrown together when their owners Jasmine and Elliot move into the same house. While the children deal with the change of having a new half sibling and step parent, Wedgie struggles to protect the family and Gizmo attempts to get rid of the corgi. Can everyone learn to accept their new situations?
The book alternates in chapters told from Wedgie's and Gizmo's points of view. The voices of these characters are distinctive; especially Wedgie's in the repetition and simplicity of the language. The pets' narratives are intertwined with dialogue from the humans which add real world context to Wedgie's and Gizmo's interpretation of events.
The illustrations dispersed throughout the book brought many smiles to my face. They complimented and added additional information to the story.
I wished that I could have spent more time with Jasmine and the parents, but expect this to happen in the sequel.
Wedgie and Gizmo is a delight sure to enchant children and adults alike!
November 17, 2019
Pet owners will recognize the personality of Wedgie the Welsh Corgi and Gizmo the guinea pig. When Gizmo's human owner young Elliot and his Dad move into the new home of Wedgie's human owner young and bratty Jasmine and her little brother Jackson, his privacy disappears. Gizmo gets stuffed into a tutu, one of the many indignities the bright literate, glasses wearing rodent suffers through, he vows to retaliate. Wedgie the corgi however loves the new arrangement especially knowing that he and Wedgie will become great friends. Ellliot like Gizmo feels misplaced and misses his old home and friends. Surprises occurr that will have readers grinning ear to ear. This funny tale provides a wonderful look into the life of pets from their viewpoint.
June 23, 2020
A funny, adventurous story about a superhero dog versus an evil genius guinea pig. A great book to read with your pets! This book is as 2021 Bluestem Nominee.
E-book and downloadable audiobook versions are available on Overdrive and Hoopla.
Lexile Level: 550
Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
E-book and downloadable audiobook versions are available on Overdrive and Hoopla.
Lexile Level: 550
Reviewed by Christine Hwang, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library
April 20, 2021
I actually listened to this one with my kids on a trip last year but forgot to mark it on GoodReads. We loved it and my kids went on to read the sequel.
February 27, 2019
When a family with a dog marries into a family with a guinea pig, there's bound to be some culture clash and adjustment – especially when the dog, Wedgie, is a hyperactive corgi who thinks he's a superhero, and the guinea pig, Gizmo, is a glasses-wearing, literate, self-proclaimed Evil Genius who wants to take over the world and rule all cavies as their king. This book is narrated alternately by Wedgie and Gizmo, so while you do see some of the typical tensions caused by a blended family (the oldest boy misses his school and friends and resents his new sister), you see them through the animals' eyes. The culture clash really comes mostly from the animals: Wedgie wonders why the new boy is sad, while Gizmo resents his Barbie playhouse habitat and suspects the Peruvian grandmother of wanting to eat him. The alternating narration is pitch perfect and hilarious: Wedgie is an overly enthusiastic optimist with a brief attention span ("A treat! I'm going to get a treat! I got a treat! I don't even taste it. I swallow it down. Can I have another?"), and Gizmo, although much smarter, still always gets the wrong end of the stick because of his egoism. I read this to my class on request. They loved the silly humor, and although it's a lower reading level than I typically would pick, I enjoyed its well-crafted silliness as well.
April 28, 2018
Selfors, Suzanne Wedgie & Gizmo, 166 pages. HarperCollins, 2017. $13. Language: (0 swears, 0 “f”) Mature Content: G Violence: G.
Wedgie is a dog and Gizmo is a guinea pig and they are part of a recently blended family. Wedgie believes it is his job to guard and protect the family, but the new boy, Elliot doesn't seem to like him. Gizmo belongs to Elliot, but his cage was damaged in the move, so he is currently living in a modified Barbie house (until a new cage can be acquired). Gizmo sees himself as an evil genius, but a late night house exploration results in a trip to the vet when Gizmo eats too much. Now, there's trouble between the siblings - blending a family is hard.
Told in alternating chapters from the pets point of view, this delightful story - which includes snippets of dialogue so the reader gets the family's perspective as well - is hilarious! I love the voice of the pets, Gizmo calls Elliott his human servant. An easy read, accessible by those transitioning to longer chapter books, but clever enough for the older elementary student to also appreciate.
EL - ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian
Wedgie is a dog and Gizmo is a guinea pig and they are part of a recently blended family. Wedgie believes it is his job to guard and protect the family, but the new boy, Elliot doesn't seem to like him. Gizmo belongs to Elliot, but his cage was damaged in the move, so he is currently living in a modified Barbie house (until a new cage can be acquired). Gizmo sees himself as an evil genius, but a late night house exploration results in a trip to the vet when Gizmo eats too much. Now, there's trouble between the siblings - blending a family is hard.
Told in alternating chapters from the pets point of view, this delightful story - which includes snippets of dialogue so the reader gets the family's perspective as well - is hilarious! I love the voice of the pets, Gizmo calls Elliott his human servant. An easy read, accessible by those transitioning to longer chapter books, but clever enough for the older elementary student to also appreciate.
EL - ADVISABLE Lisa Librarian
March 18, 2018
This was such a cute book. I found myself giggling throughout the story.
Wedgie is a corgi, who may or may not be a little intellectually challenged. Gizmo is a genius guinea pig, an evil genius, bent on world domination... Hilarity ensues.
The story is told from the point of view of the animals in alternating chapters. The humans are met, through conversations that they have and how the animals see them. In addition to just being a silly book, it also deals with very real issues like a blended family and moving to a new place. The feelings the humans have in this story are very real and realistically portrayed.
I found myself wanting to read this book aloud, which is great, I will work hard to get multiple teachers to read it aloud to their classes next year. It will be a great read aloud for third grade and the older grades will enjoy reading it independently.
All in all this is a great addition to the Bluebonnets and I look forward to hearing the author speak more about the book.
Wedgie is a corgi, who may or may not be a little intellectually challenged. Gizmo is a genius guinea pig, an evil genius, bent on world domination... Hilarity ensues.
The story is told from the point of view of the animals in alternating chapters. The humans are met, through conversations that they have and how the animals see them. In addition to just being a silly book, it also deals with very real issues like a blended family and moving to a new place. The feelings the humans have in this story are very real and realistically portrayed.
I found myself wanting to read this book aloud, which is great, I will work hard to get multiple teachers to read it aloud to their classes next year. It will be a great read aloud for third grade and the older grades will enjoy reading it independently.
All in all this is a great addition to the Bluebonnets and I look forward to hearing the author speak more about the book.
October 4, 2017
It is really cute when a guinea pig thought he could rule the world. I hate to break it to him but, cat has been ruling the world since like forever.
And so, there's only Gizmo the guinea pig and Wedgie the canine. And the story is in both pov.
Gizmo is a genius. I mean, he can read and he have glasses on. Oops sorry, he's an Evil Genius. He planned to rule the world. But, babysteps because his biggest adversary for now are Wedgie, Abuela and Bing Ting Ting.
Wegie on the other hand is supper silly, with a red cape. So, he believed he is a super dog that can protect his family day or night, night or day, come what may.
In my humble opinion, there's not a single line that was boring. Okay maybe not the part where Wedgie ate the Fury Potato's poop. That's super gross. Bad Wedgie.
And I like the ending. It's not an end end but, like a promise for more adventure.
👍👍👍👍👍
And so, there's only Gizmo the guinea pig and Wedgie the canine. And the story is in both pov.
Gizmo is a genius. I mean, he can read and he have glasses on. Oops sorry, he's an Evil Genius. He planned to rule the world. But, babysteps because his biggest adversary for now are Wedgie, Abuela and Bing Ting Ting.
Wegie on the other hand is supper silly, with a red cape. So, he believed he is a super dog that can protect his family day or night, night or day, come what may.
In my humble opinion, there's not a single line that was boring. Okay maybe not the part where Wedgie ate the Fury Potato's poop. That's super gross. Bad Wedgie.
And I like the ending. It's not an end end but, like a promise for more adventure.
👍👍👍👍👍
September 14, 2019
This is one of those books to have for kids that love joke books and stories that have little meaning in comparison to laughs. This is a book for libraries and school libraries even though it has little of no value to a teacher the students will enjoy it. The characters are reminiscent of any duo where one is bright and the other not so much. The blend of human dialogue into the book works well to help students understand past the animal emotions. I get a kick out of Gizmo's need to be evil and the events that he feels are slights against him personally. Yet, the majority of the book is carried by Wedgie who is mostly lacking of ego and glues all the different events together through his point of view. Though I thoroughly enjoyed this, it will rank slightly above Dav Pilkey's work in many adult minds, which is fine as the target audience is the kids.
June 11, 2018
So cute and fun! (Super) Wedgie and Gizmo are a great contrast, and the situation is cleverly hinted at, but never stated outright. Tons of fun, but with a good lesson.
Evil Genius Gizmo does not like his new living situation, especially now that there is a CANINIE in the house. And a new servant who dresses him up and carries him in her pocket, so that he cannot work on his evil plans to become king of the cavies.
Super Wedgie LOVES his new family and knows that they all LOVE him. He is fascinated by the furry potato that keeps getting lost. Don't worry, Furry Potato! Super Wedgie will rescue you!
Evil Genius Gizmo does not like his new living situation, especially now that there is a CANINIE in the house. And a new servant who dresses him up and carries him in her pocket, so that he cannot work on his evil plans to become king of the cavies.
Super Wedgie LOVES his new family and knows that they all LOVE him. He is fascinated by the furry potato that keeps getting lost. Don't worry, Furry Potato! Super Wedgie will rescue you!
July 21, 2018
Told alternately from the perspective of Gizmo the evil genius guinea pig and Wedgie, the Welsh corgi superhero-cape-wearing dog. Cleverly inserted is dialogue from family members of this recently blended family so you get a bit of the human perspective, too. My favorite is the "Muh-ha-ha" and the dog repeats (e.g. pet me pet me pet me). After a summer spent with a black lab at my house, the pet antics felt oh-so-familiar. The illustrations were perfect for the silliness. I do have one complaint--the corners of each page have a cute little bull's eye, but I found it very distracting to my reading experience--just another pesky problem caused by a concussion.
September 22, 2018
Cute little bedtime story that I read to the girls, we laughed and inserted our own pets into the likeness of Wedgie the Welsh Corgi and Gizmo the guinea pig. We have a mutt corgi mix named Happy and a dwarf hamster named Alex, so this isn't exactly the same....but it's fun to imagine them in a story. The dialogue of the Corgi was particularly funny, in it's delightfully goofy and lovely assumptions. Nice to know there is a second book for us to read in the future, and I assume it's a current ongoing series!
July 2, 2019
This book is a super fast read for kids. It is told from the perspective of an evil genius guinea pig. The guinea pig (Gizmo) has moved with his boy (Elliot) to a new home with a new family. He has new archenemies (Wedgie the corgi and Abuela the grandma). It is so funny and the pages just fly by. The illustrations do so much for this book and are especially good for the kids. I chose this book for my Banana Splits Book Club and they all loved it. They are just waiting for the library to get book #2!
June 19, 2017
This book is really fun! Told in alternating chapters by an evil villain guinea pig and a super hero Corgi, the story of two families coming together in one new home comes to life through the eyes and noses of two very distinct voices. Suzanne Selfors does a wonderful job discussing the difficulties of big life changes and how relationships grow through the dialogue that the main characters overhear and their reactions to their humans' behavior.
October 30, 2018
I read this book aloud to my 7-year-old. It was hilarious! We both enjoyed it very much, though I'm sure some of the humor was lost on her. The chapters alternate voice between Wedgie, a pet corgi, and Gizmo, a pet guinea pig, in a newly blended family. They each have distinctive personalities. The difficulty of adjusting to the blended family life is subtly explored. A very good read for kids, especially those who identify with the challenge of divorce and remarriage of a parent.
December 16, 2017
What a hoot! Cute, funny, kind hearted. Too many hilarious phrases to write down, my favorite: furry potato! Having owned guinea pigs for a few years, I’ve never known or seen them use an exercise wheel or fit into a habit trail style cage. Can’t wait to read more of the adventures of Super Wedgie and the evil genius.
April 25, 2018
Very funny little chapter book for 3rd grade level readers. Great family characters, as well as the main characters. Love the split voice, one chapter Wedgie, and then the next Gizmo. You can really understand dog and then evil genius plotting. These characters are wonderful and the story is something many of our kids mirror in their daily lives.
August 6, 2018
I had this book on my bedstand for way too long as I read through several other books. I'm so glad I picked it up last night and finished it this morning. I found it laugh-out-loud funny!!! The illustrations add a lot of humor to the story and I like the fact that it is told from the point of view of a guinea pig and a dog.
September 27, 2018
162 pages. Very, very funny story of a Guinea pig who comes to live with a family. Their dog is named Wedgie and he seems to foil every evil plan the genius guinea pig comes up with. The dialogue is hilarious. Kids will absolutely love it. It would make a great read aloud for a class. Highly recommended for Grades 3-5. I will definitely buy this series.
November 28, 2017
Listened to this one on my way to see family for Thanksgiving. I was laughing the entire ride at the hilarious views of an evil genius guinea pig and a clueless caped Corgi. Can't wait for the sequel!
March 25, 2018
We have been doing audiobooks in the car and this was the most recent. My son loved it he couldn’t wait to listen to more each time we went out. The readers were amazing made the store really come to life.
June 12, 2018
3.5 Stars. I really wanted to love this book but for some reason I couldn’t give it 4 stars. It’s a cute story told from the perspective of a guinea pig and a Corgi and I’m sure kids will love it but it was just ok.
January 24, 2019
This book is a lighthearted and cute story. It is a very quick read and would appeal to kids that don’t like to read. I am going to use this book for literature circles in class. It is a great book for kids to read and discuss together!
February 4, 2022
Lots of silliness but also a tender story about a young boy adapting to his new step-family.
October 1, 2018
Highly recommended. Very funny book! Great read aloud, but it would difficult to match the fantastic skill of the audio book readers.
January 2, 2019
Gizmo reminds me of my Border Collie and Wedgie reminds me of my Pit mix. Super cute story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews