Ten Flashing Fireflies

by Philemon Sturges, Anna Vojtech

Overview

A luminous counting picture book for young readers.

Counting down from ten to one, a girl and a boy empty the night sky of fireflies as–counting up from one to ten–they fill their jar with them. But once captured, the fireflies’ light flickers and fades, so in a generous good-night gesture, the children release them.

Luminous pictures and a chant-aloud text combine to make this two-way counting book as joyous and magical as catching fireflies on a summer night.

Lyrical, expressive, varied, and excellent for reading out loud.
–School Library Journal, starred review

A book quietly luminous as its subject.
–Kirkus Reviews

Elegant mathematical simplicity and careful rhyme, illustrated in keeping with its nocturnal theme and bedtime role.
– NAPPA Awards

National Parenting Publications Awards, Gold Medal, 1995
Smithsonian Magazine Notable Books for Children, 1995
Booklinks Salutes a Few Good Books, 1995
American Bookseller Pick of the Lists

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781558586741
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	03/01/1997
Series:	Leveled Books
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	37,165
Product dimensions:	8.67(w) x 9.78(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	210L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Philemon Sturges was an architect and the author of several books for children, including I Love Trains!, I Love Trucks!, I Love Planes!, I Love School!, and I Love Bugs!.

Anna Vojtech has illustrated numerous books for children, mostly folktales and stories about nature. Nature has always been a strong source of inspiration for Anna. Her pictures are full of flowers and animals, of giraffes and elephants, of little birds and chipmunks. Folktales are also about people, their nature and their spirit. Through her illustrations Anna has brought readers closer to our Native American heritage as well as the traditions of other nations.

Editorial Reviews

"Elegant mathematical simplicity and careful rhyme, illustrated in keeping with its nocturnal theme and bedtime role."

NAPPA Awards

Breaking up the deep grays, purples and the black of night with incandescent spots of light, the illustrator of this imaginatively conceived book captures the magic of summer evenings and the mysterious glow of fireflies. These marvelous creatures of nature, meanwhile, are deployed in debut author Sturges's poetic counting lesson. ``What do we see in the summer night?/ Ten flashing fireflies burning bright!/ Catch the one twinkling there/ Like a star./ One flashing firefly in our jar.'' A brother and sister add nine more fireflies to their collection; later, in their bedroom, they free the fireflies when their light begins to fade, counting down from 10 to one as the insects escape through the window and begin to glow again. This counting book, with atmospheric, dusky chalk illustrations and a subtle lesson in compassion, makes a memorable entry in a heavily populated picture-book category. Ages 3-6. (May)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 1Unusual double-page spreads in deep nighttime colors, with the shapes of frolicking children, trees, houses, and animals only dimly seen, are sparked by the glowing orbs of fireflies as a red-haired, round-faced brother and sister capture the glowworms one by one and put them in a jar. When 10 are imprisoned and brought into the house, their lights blink out. Then the window is opened, they are released immediately, and they fly up into the darkness, flashing once again. The rhymed text of this counting book (1-10 and back again) is lyrical, expressive, varied, and excellent for reading out loud. The illustrations reflect the universal mystery and excitement of playing outdoors on a summer night and catching those strange creatures lit by cold fire.Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA

School Library Journal