Many of Eric Carle's books begin with a small creature being born just as a great yellow sun rises. This time the hero is a firefly, and the inimitably Carle-ish cut-paper orange-and-yellow sun is setting. The firefly buzzes off in search of companionship, but keeps following other lights by mistake--a candle, a flashlight, a lantern--and these in turn are all leading in the direction of a fireworks display. Finally, the lonely firefly finds the friends it is seeking--a dozen or more other fireflies. This is one of a series of large (11.5 by 8.5 inches) format Carle books with a mechanical twist: in this case, the firefly's new group of friends start to flash (from tiny yellow bulbs embedded in the book) as you turn the last page. (The battery is replaceable.) (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr
The Very Lonely Firefly FROM OUR EDITORS The Barnes & Noble Review
The newest edition to the Very series by Eric Carle now lights up in a board book format. Just like the original, the fireflies illuminate at the end of the book.
— Rosemary Marotta
ANNOTATION A lonely firefly goes out into the night searching for other fireflies.
FROM THE PUBLISHER One night a very lonely firefly goes off in search of friends. Each time he sees a flicker of light he flies off toward it, but none of them turn out to be fireflies. He sees a lantern, an owl's eyes, even headlights shining in the darkness. Will the lonely firefly ever find creatures like himself?
A classic in its own time, The Very Lonely Firefly is finally available in a beautiful board book format, perfect for the youngest readers and the smallest hands. And just as in the hardcover edition, the fireflies' lights actually light up, delighting children of all ages.
FROM THE CRITICS Publishers Weekly With characteristic simplicity-and the now expected visual ``surprise'' at book's end-Carle delivers another heartwarming tale about a diminutive creature on a quest. In the author/artist's words, his latest story "is about belonging." As the sun sets, a firefly is born: "It stretched its wings and flew off into the darkening sky." Searching for other fireflies, the lonely little guy flies hopefully toward other lights (a bulb in a window, a candle, a flashlight, the shining eyes of an owl, car headlights, fireworks), only to discover that they are not what he is looking for. Youngsters will be as tickled as the no-longer-lonely firefly to find, on the last spread, "a group of fireflies, flashing their lights"-with the help of replaceable batteries (final version not seen by PW). Carle's richly hued, collage-like art and gentle text will be comfortingly familiar to his numerous young devotees. Ages 4-up. (June)
Children's Literature - Susie Wilde This book completes the fourth in an interactive quartet of books. Carle focuses his tale on the gift of sight. It is the tale of a lonely firefly that searches for others like him. Along the way, he mistakes everything from lanterns to fireworks for fireflies. The last page reveals blinking fireflies completing the firefly's dream while giving young children visual satisfaction. Once again Carle proves himself masterful at uniting emotion, science, and the interactive medium.
Children's Literature - Childrens Literature One of the most revered writers for young children, Eric Carle, is a perfect match for the toddler years. Carle's bright collages, simple words, introduction of concepts, and his understanding of young emotional development are winning combinations, and it is all found in the board book version of The Very Lonely Firefly. This story of light and loneliness contains a multisensory surprise at the book's end. 1999, Penguin Putnam, Ages 1 to 3, $21.99 and $10.99. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
School Library Journal K-Gr 1-This final addition to the ``Very Quartet'' is classic Carle in both story and illustrations. It's a natural continuation of his other stories about insects that teach young readers universal emotions, needs, and a variety of other concepts. The illustrations help the story unfold, as readers see a newborn firefly at the end of its first day. It searches for companionship, mistaking a lightbulb; candle; flashlight; lantern; dog, cat, and owl eyes; headlights; and fireworks for its own kind. Finally, it discovers a group of fireflies, giving him the gift of companionship. There's also evidence of a sublayer of the belonging theme here, as a human family is portrayed discovering the fireworks display. The illustrations are painted cut-paper collages, designed to draw the eye to the page. This is a compelling accomplishment that will leave readers and listeners alike wishing Carle would turn the quartet into a quintet. A guaranteed winner as a read-aloud or read-alone.-Christina Dorr, Calcium Primary School, NY
BookList - Carolyn Phelan Born one evening as the sun sets, a little firefly stretches its wings and goes off looking for others of its kind. Attracted by the lights, it flies toward a candle, a flashlight, a lantern, and finally a sky full of fireworks, only to be disappointed. When everything quiets down, though, other fireflies come out and flash their lights. The little firefly isn't lonely anymore. Although the text may not be as strong as in Carle's best picture books, its simplicity and its depiction of feeling lonely and finding one's place in a group will appeal to preschoolers. As the flap copy says, ""The Very Lonely Firefly" is about" belonging"." The illustrations, collages of painted papers, make strong visual statements in the artist's signature style.
|
