Felix, What Time Is It? (by Annette Langen)

The author begins with a discussion of different types of clocks, then moves on to a brief history of timekeeping. Next is a spread about the modern clock and its way of showing quarter and half hours.

The rest of the book is one day in the life of Sophie's family, with times given for getting up, going to school, Dad's appointment, meals, and activities. It ends with everyone going to sleep.

This is an anomaly in the series: Felix doesn't travel, there are no letters or other surprises, and the book is printed in board-book format with a circular cutout that allows a toy clock to show through. Unfortunately, the pages do not refer to the clock, so its usefulness is limited. The book is intended to teach telling time, but its presentation is confusing and at too high a level for the age at which most kids learn to tell time. And the board-book format is likely to seem babyish to many children old enough to understand the presentation.

Author: Annette Langen
Illustrator: Constanza Droop
Publisher: Abbeville Publishing Group
Publication date: January 1, 1999
Number of pages: 20
Hardcover price: $15.95