Meet the Friends

Mika

Mitzy's little brother.

Age

3, and grumpy about being too young for school

Visual tag

Always carrying something he is not supposed to be carrying.

Fun quirks

He runs everywhere, even indoors, even to the next room. He asks why until somebody gives up. He copies whatever Mitzy just did, about one second later.

Biggest joy

Being given the real job instead of the pretend job.

Biggest challenge

Being littler than everybody, and being told to wait.

First appears in book 1.

Toby

A turtle. The first friend Mitzy ever makes at school.

Age

5, and in no rush about it

Visual tag

A green shell with a pattern on it that he says is a map.

Fun quirks

He never hurries, not once, not for anything. He finishes his sentence even if you have already walked off. He is always last out of the door and does not mind at all.

Biggest joy

A job with no time limit on it.

Biggest challenge

Anything that starts with somebody blowing a whistle.

First appears in book 4.

Iggy

A fox. The fastest one in the class, and he knows it.

He turns everything into a race, including lunch, and counts down out loud before he does anything at all.

You will meet them in book 8.

Wendy

A hedgehog, and one of Mitzy's closest friends.

Her spines go flat when she is pleased. She says out loud the thing everybody else was only thinking.

You will meet them in book 9.

Sylvester

A bat. The newest one at Great Oak School.

Enormous triangular ears and wings he uses as arms. He knows exactly what it feels like to be the new one.

You will meet them in book 13.

Toshiyaki

A tanuki, and one of the oldest names in the whole series.

A tanuki is a Japanese raccoon dog, which is really a small round wild dog. He was on the very first cast board, drawn years before any of these books existed, and the odd spelling of his name is on purpose.

You will meet them in book 13.

Sophie

Mitzy's cousin. Not a classmate; family.

She runs straight for the waves while everybody else is still taking their shoes off.

You will meet them in book 26.

Fern

A dormouse. The friend Mitzy makes at summer camp.

She hands over spare crackers without being asked, and by Friday there is a stick fort behind the shed.

You will meet them in book 27.

Junie

A young rabbit who arrives partway through the year.

She says her own name almost too quietly to hear.

You will meet them in book 29.

Steven

A snake, with no arms, which he will point out if you ask him to carry something.

He says no first and yes later, and watches from the edge for a long time before he joins in.

You will meet them in book 30.

Elvira

A skunk with a white stripe she keeps extremely neat.

She rearranges things so they look better and does not ask first. Nobody ever makes a joke about how she smells.

You will meet them in book 35.

Pip

A young otter. The new neighbor.

He does not say very much at first. He looks at everything.

You will meet them in book 59.

Mommy

A grown rabbit. Red dress, white apron.

Age

Grown up

Visual tag

A red dress with a white apron over it. There is always something in the apron pocket.

Fun quirks

She says “I did not like that either” instead of “do not worry”. She hums without noticing when she is thinking. She never says a feeling is silly.

Biggest joy

Being told a thing before she has to ask about it.

Biggest challenge

Doing three things at once when the baby is loud.

First appears in book 1.

Daddy

A grown rabbit. Blue shirt, white tie.

Age

Grown up

Visual tag

A blue button shirt with a plain white tie, jeans and a black belt. The tie has gone loose by bedtime.

Fun quirks

He waits a long time before he answers, long enough that you think he did not hear. He sits down on the floor instead of standing over you.

Biggest joy

The quiet ten minutes after everybody is finally in bed.

Biggest challenge

Saying the true thing out loud instead of the easy thing.

First appears in book 1.

Mrs. Trala

An owl. The teacher at Great Oak School.

Age

Grown up, and will not say how grown up

Visual tag

A green cardigan and round glasses on a chain around her neck.

Fun quirks

She hands you a job instead of asking how you are feeling. She knows every name by the first morning. She crouches down so she is not talking to the top of your head.

Biggest joy

Watching somebody who was stuck by the door end up in the middle of the room.

Biggest challenge

Not fixing things too quickly. She waits longer than she wants to.

First appears in book 4.

Mr. Sika

A sika deer who runs the vegetable stand. His name is his species.

He keeps a pencil behind one ear, and he asks you a question rather than telling you what to do. He is never angry, only clear.

You will meet them in book 7.

Mrs. Anabelle

The village librarian.

She stamps your book, nods, and claps from the library window when something good happens outside.

You will meet them in book 14.

Mr. Argo

A moose. The mayor of the village.

He bows to people in the street and shakes hands with every single performer after a show.

You will meet them in book 19.

Mr. Otis

A beaver. He builds the houses, with his crew.

If he catches you watching he waves you over and hands you a bucket of wooden pegs to sort by size.

You will meet them in book 23.

Dr. Fenwick

A badger. The dentist.

Very clean glasses. He counts your teeth out loud and gives out toothbrushes shaped like carrots.

You will meet them in book 25.

Zipper

A squirrel. The camp counselor.

He meets everybody at the gate shouting that adventure is waiting, and then quietly tells you that you do not have to go first.

You will meet them in book 27.

Mrs. Tea

A porcupine. She works at the town hall.

She is the one who suggests, very gently, that you might put some of it away, and then shows you how with a jar and a label.

You will meet them in book 33.

Mr. Monroe

A bear. The safety officer at the pond.

He walks the edge of the water, asks whether you want help rather than giving it, and tells you to let your shoulders go.

You will meet them in book 36.

Great-Aunt Petal

Sophie's great-aunt, and everybody else's by extension.

She pinches cheeks. She also brings the pie, and the pie is the best thing there.

You will meet them in book 37.

Mr. Clemens

A woodpecker. He runs the woodshop class after school.

You start with a birdhouse. When it goes wrong he says measure it twice and try another one, and that nobody gets it right in the first few.

You will meet them in book 47.

Mr. Finch

The substitute teacher, for the day Mrs. Trala is not well.

He goes faster than Mrs. Trala does, and then kneels down by your table and says you can start whenever you like.

You will meet them in book 54.