I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are

by Bridget Heos, Jennifer Plecas (Illustrator)

Overview

Fly is fed up with everyone studying butterflies. Flies are so much cooler! They flap their wings 200 times a second, compared to a butterfly's measly five to twelve times. Their babies—maggots—are much cuter than caterpillars (obviously). And when they eat solid food, they even throw up on it to turn it into a liquid. Who wouldn't want to study an insect like that?
In an unforgettably fun, fact-filled presentation, this lovable (and highly partisan) narrator promotes his species to a sometimes engrossed, sometimes grossed-out, class of kids.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805094695
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	03/10/2015
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 2.30(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bridget Heos is the author of more than sixty nonfiction books for children. She lives in Kansas City with her family.
Jennifer Plecas is an illustrator, designer, and author who has illustrated over thirty books for children, including the beloved Good Night, Good Knight books. She also lives in Kansas City with her family.

Editorial Reviews

This zippy introduction will inspire and satisfy curiosity.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

Heos has a knack for selecting and presenting the kind of factual information that is both fascinating and revolting (in other words, perfect for middle-graders)....Plecas' pictures...also keep the tone light while still being instructive.” —The Bulletin, starred review

“A breezy bucketful of buggy braggadocio, with tasty nuggets of well-digested natural history stirred in.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A whimsical approach to the life cycle of flies. Large, colorful illustrations immediately engage readers through dialogue bubbles and colorful cartoons . . . This book will be a lively read-aloud to introduce students to environmentalism or to generate conversation and new ideas.” —School Library Journal

“Giggly, gross, and educational.” —Booklist

“Heos cleverly skewers the classic elements of the typical animal book.... educators...will find this take on insects refreshing, amusing, and scientifically accurate.” —The Horn Book

“This zippy introduction will inspire and satisfy curiosity.” —The New York Times

“After reading this informational book, not only will young readers have new respect for poop and garbage-eating flies, they will know lots more about these less glamorous insects... even though this is a light and very, very funny book, it's chock full of information!” —BookPage

From the Publisher

12/01/2014
Gr 2–4—A whimsical approach to the life cycle of flies. Large, colorful illustrations immediately engage readers through dialogue bubbles and colorful cartoons. Children learn all about eggs, larva, pupa, and adulthood through the narration of one fly who resents how much attention butterflies get: "Well, guess who else metamorphoses, can fly, and is beautiful (at least according to my mother)." Understudied and not as well liked, the fly is shown to be an important insect that greatly aids in decomposition and composting; the author includes discussion of maggots, rotting fruit, and environmentalism and dispels the myth that flies are dirty insects. Readers learn how the bugs help solve police crimes and how they further the study of science in the lab. This book will be a lively read-aloud to introduce students to environmentalism or to generate conversation and new ideas and will be enjoyed by independent readers.—Tracey Wong, P.S. 54/Fordham Bedford Academy, Bronx, NY

School Library Journal

2014-12-06
Why study boring old butterflies in school when there's a far buzzier insect on tap? A charismatic housefly eloquently states his kind's case.Sailing in through an open window in Plecas' cartoon illustrations, the hairy, popeyed advocate wows a class by pointing out that flies too hatch from eggs and undergo metamorphosis. Better yet, they fly better with two wings (and balancing organs called halteres) than butterflies do with four, and instead of eating pretty flowers "like those fancy-schmancy caterpillars," chow down on poop, trash and "Yum. Rotting fruit." Following a Q-and-A that brings out some other less-than-savory truths ("No. We don't throw up on everything. Only solid foods"), the vibrating visitor yaks out more fly facts, then takes a bow for the undeniably worthy work done by maggots everywhere. Even the onlooking butterfly is clapping by the end. The pictures incorporate chalkboard notes and charts to back up the fly's overview of muscid physiology, habits and life cycle. A breezy bucketful of buggy braggadocio, with tasty nuggets of well-digested natural history stirred in. (glossary, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews