Felix is not just fast in the speed sense but quick thinking too and when Ben the dog goes missing he knows just what he needs to do to help find him. Full of little factual snippets set alongside the story and the pictures that tell the reader a bit more about rural life and the world of agriculture and there’s even a terrific straw bale maze game at the end of the book to play with your child. Every once in a while a children’s book character comes along that really captures the imagination of its audience, garnering a legion of loyal fans eager for the next instalment of their particular hero’s adventure. We all know, by first name, a postman and his black and white cat (Pat, oh and Jess, of course), an explorer and her best friend Boots the monkey (Dora, who else?), a builder and his team of mechanical chums (Bob, how could you forget?) and the fireman from the Welsh Valleys with the bright, clean engine (could only be, Sam). But how familiar are you with a kind, friendly, super clever, shiny blue tractor from Ambers Farm? His name is Felix, Felix the Fast Tractor.
Felix and his friends are harvesting when Ben the Dog goes missing - where can he be?
Felix lives with the Story family near the village of Glempsea where he plays a vital role in the running of this busy working farm along with a host of farmyard friends including the farm dog Ben, Colin the Combine Harvester and Daisy the Digger. His adventures centre on everyday farming events - covering many aspects of British agricultural living; from the building of a new barn, to the harvesting of wheat, dealing with the temperamental weather, and helping the Story family find their beloved missing dog.
More factually accurate than other titles of this genre, helpful ‘want to know more?’ sections appear every couple of pages, while featuring colourful characters, appealing storylines and delightful illustrations, perfect for this age group.
These delightful tales of rural life are the work of mum-of-two, Catherine Cannon. Having written and self published the first three Felix the Fast Tractor titles to satisfy her son’s farming curiosity and particularly his interest in tractors Catherine explains the need for characters such as Felix, “As with most four-year-olds my son was incredibly inquisitive, barraging me with ‘whys? wheres? and what fors?’ each time we’d sit down to read together. I found the books aimed at his age group were very much plot-based and there was no offering when it came to the finer details, such as ‘how does a tractor work, mummy?’ or ‘where does the rain come from?’ he still wanted the fun aspect of reading a book but more often than not he wanted more from story time and so Felix was born.â€