Most people dislike flies, an attitude leaned from childhood. Bridget Heos’ book, I Fly, introduces the readers to the common housefly with a whole new point of view that might change change opinions. Written for children four to eight in preschool to grade here, the book tells the story of a fly in an entertaining way with plenty of factual information tucked in so that the reader can gain an appreciation of the role flies play in the world.
The hero of the book is a fly in a classroom of children studying butterflies. He tells the kids that he is beautiful, at least to his mother, and describes his life cycle noting that maggots don’t eat plants like caterpillars do. Unlike butterflies who fly quietly, he makes a low or high pitched sound when in flight depending how fast he beats his wings. And he can spin when he flies and does so with only two wings compared to a butterfly’s four! In a matter of fact tone, he relates that he eats rotten fruit and poop, he vomits up solid food so he can slurp it down in liquid form, and that he does carry a lot of bacteria. By the end of the book you can’t help liking this honest, straightforward little guy even though you do not want him near your food.
The book is delightful reading while also providing a lot of interesting information. The text is accompanied by charming colorful illustrations that add to the humor. The book includes a glossary of terms used in the text from simple ones like caterpillar and maggot to more unfamiliar ones like halteres and ptilinum. A great book for individual or group reading.
To buy I, Fly from Amazon.com Click Here.
Karen Meyers