The Pesky Fly

by Vance Durrington, Melissa Bailey (Illustrator)

Overview

Has a fly ever bothered you? Would it keep coming back when you tried to wave it away? This family has the same problem. There is a pesky fly in their house driving everyone crazy. Find out what that buzz-buzz-buzzing fly is up to. What will happen next? Where will the pesky fly appear? Follow along with the fly’s adventure. The Pesky Fly, with its repetitive text and humor, will almost certainly be one that young children will want to listen to over and over again. Kids will begin to repeat the refrain after only a few pages and will be able to read the book on their own in no time. The adorable illustrations help to tell the story and reflect how the characters feel about that pesky fly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781644388211
Publisher:	Booklocker.com, Inc.
Publication date:	07/04/2019
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	2 - 6 Years

About the Author

Vance is an author and educator. He teaches in the College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Vance currently lives in Wilmington, NC with his wife Jeanne and their two dogs Belle and Sassy (yes, Sassy lives up to her name).

Editorial Reviews

'It is a delightful story that children will love to have read to them, especially when they can jump in on hollering at the pesky fly. This book would be perfect for classrooms and for family fun times.' — Dawn Weaver for Readers' Favorite

'There is nothing like the summer heat to bring out all of the pesky flies. Author Vance Durrington and illustrator Melissa Bailey take this irksome theme and turn it into a playfully enjoyable picture book that will be appreciated by young listeners as well as newly independent readers.' — The Children's Book Review

From the Publisher

2019-07-16
A noisy insect disrupts the lives of a young girl and her family in this debut.

An unnamed young narrator is enjoying her day when she's approached by a loud, persistent fly. She says, "Go away, pesky fly! / Stop pestering me. / Your buzz buzz buzzing / Will drive me CRAZY!" She's increasingly annoyed as the insect follows her around and even disturbs her breakfast. Then the fly irritates other family members: her Gran, who's trying to read a book; the narrator's sister, who's brushing her hair; her brother, who's "Glued to his phone"; and her mom and dad as they get ready for work and pack lunches. When the family dog begins to follow the fly, the agitated narrator has an idea. She opens the front door and the canine chases the fly outside. At last, the household is free of the pest. Although the book's subject matter is simple, Durrington employs rhyme and repetitive phrasing, making it a good read-aloud. Bailey's (Pug Is Happy, 2018, etc.) illustrations depict a white family with large, cartoonish features. They include up-close depictions of the fly and nice textural details, such as grooves in wood floors. There's also fun subtext, such as Gran's T-shirt, which depicts a fly inside a circular "no" symbol.

An engaging, sometimes silly, and relatable story.

Kirkus Reviews