Fenwick's Suit

by David Small

Fenwick discovers that the new suit he has purchased has a life of its own.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

David Small is the recipient of the Caldecott Medal, a Christopher Medal, and the E. B. White Award for his picture books, which include Imogene's Antlers, The Gardener, and So, You Want to Be President? He lives in Mendon, Michigan.

Reviews

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fun. Perhaps a little too deep for the typical picture book audience though. And it ended on kind of a depressing note.

An office worker thinks that if he gets a cool suit, perhaps he’ll have friends. But then the suit takes on a life of it’s own, even controlling him, and so the man realizes otherwise. The last page has the man considering a new hairstyle…

I’m not sure any little kid will pick up on the message; they’ll probably just think it’s an odd tale. And it kind of is.

Ages: 3 - 10

Cleanliness: there’s a female mannequin’s bare legs oddly displayed in a window shop in the background of a picture.

[A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A punny but somewhat depressing story of an unassuming office worker who turns to fashion in the hopes of garnering some attention. The suit has a mind of its own and leaves poor Fenwick behind, and their ultimate face off leaves Fenwick no more self-aware than when he started. For some reason the kids loved this; the vocabulary and concepts seem better suited for adults (see what I did there?). Not my favorite of Small's work.

[Stacia Leigh]

Loved the illustrations, and the story was clever, but I wonder about the intended audience.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The woebegone protagonist, characterized by an unflattering haircut, drab clothes, unprepossessing face and lackluster posture, decides to get a makeover by donning a loud, yellow-and-red check suit. Events rapidly spiral out of control as the suit takes on a life of its own, forcing Fenwick to give chase. The story then accelerates with the rapidity of a runaway freight train, lending crazy, surreal action to a simple tale of a man foiled by his own attempts at self improvement.

I quite liked the amusing notion played out within this book. The endsheets are the same brilliant yellow and red design as Fenwick’s suit, drawing the reader at once into the storyline. Both the words and the illustrations blend into the storyline as poor Fenwick tries to get hold of his runaway suit. Near the end, wordplay lends an insouciant fillip to the illustrations as the author/illustrator uses such words as “threaded”, “collared”, “hemmed” and “buttoned” to describe Fenwick’s faceoff with his fleeing foe.

The ending felt a tad too abrupt and the foolish Fenwick didn’t seem to have learned his lesson at all as he found himself once more wondering what would bring him the popularity he so sought. But it did bring matters full circle as was perhaps the author’s intention.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like where this is going, and I see elements of Ruby Mae Has Something to Say, but Small hasn't gotten it quite right. Fun and I love the illustrations, but not as perfect as some of his other titles.

[Jami · Rating 2 out of 5]

...but why is the suit animated?

[Araceli · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute, but not the best

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but I just didn't get the point of the story. How and why did the suit become animated? Needed some more development. As usual, though, love the illustrations by Small.