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AMONG A THOUSAND FIREFLIES

Name: AMONG A THOUSAND FIREFLIES
Author: Helen Frost
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7642-1

by Helen Frost ; photographed by Rick Lieder ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 8, 2016

Another thrilling collaboration, showing children of all ages that even Earth’s littlest creatures long for connection.

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A luminous glimpse into the magical realm of fireflies.

In Frost and Lieder’s third exploration of tiny creatures taken for granted in the natural world (Sweep Up the Sun, 2015, etc.), they top themselves, lyrically centering on a firefly’s search for a mate. Again, Frost’s spare poem weds seamlessly with Lieder’s transfixing photography, here focused solely on one of the insect world’s most captivating beings, those tiny creatures that light up summer evenings. Where Frost’s prior second-person poems encouraged children to venture out and engage with nature, here she asks pre-readers to step back and quietly observe firefly behavior, exploring the impulse behind their glowing. The author’s note reveals that fireflies—actually beetles—light up when trying to find a mate, searching for one whose blinking pattern is in sync. As Frost puts it: “How will she find / one firefly / among so many? // Across a distance / wide and dark, / she looks out from / her flower / and sees — / Light. Dark. / Light. Dark.” As Frost’s winged protagonists give chase in hopes of finding each other “among a thousand / fireflies,” Lieder’s evocative close-ups are, at times, so detailed as to count a firefly’s “toes,” at others, so breathtakingly abstract his subjects appear but lemony flashes at dusk.

Another thrilling collaboration, showing children of all ages that even Earth’s littlest creatures long for connection. (Picture book. 2-8)

Pub Date: March 8, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-7636-7642-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S POETRY

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MIGHTY POLLINATORS
by Helen Frost ; photographed by Rick Lieder

- BOOK REVIEW
WAIT—AND SEE
by Helen Frost ; illustrated by Rick Lieder

- BOOK REVIEW
ALL HE KNEW
by Helen Frost

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CARPENTER'S HELPER

by Sybil Rosen ; illustrated by Camille Garoche ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 16, 2021

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story.

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A home-renovation project is interrupted by a family of wrens, allowing a young girl an up-close glimpse of nature.

Renata and her father enjoy working on upgrading their bathroom, installing a clawfoot bathtub, and cutting a space for a new window. One warm night, after Papi leaves the window space open, two wrens begin making a nest in the bathroom. Rather than seeing it as an unfortunate delay of their project, Renata and Papi decide to let the avian carpenters continue their work. Renata witnesses the birth of four chicks as their rosy eggs split open “like coats that are suddenly too small.” Renata finds at a crucial moment that she can help the chicks learn to fly, even with the bittersweet knowledge that it will only hasten their exits from her life. Rosen uses lively language and well-chosen details to move the story of the baby birds forward. The text suggests the strong bond built by this Afro-Latinx father and daughter with their ongoing project without needing to point it out explicitly, a light touch in a picture book full of delicate, well-drawn moments and precise wording. Garoche’s drawings are impressively detailed, from the nest’s many small bits to the developing first feathers on the chicks and the wall smudges and exposed wiring of the renovation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Renata’s wren encounter proves magical, one most children could only wish to experience outside of this lovely story. (Picture book. 3-7)

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ISBN: 978-0-593-12320-1

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade/Random

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2021

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2021

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S HALLOWEEN

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2016

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes.

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A lift-the-flap book gives the littlest trick-or-treaters some practice identifying partygoers under their costumes.

Little Blue Truck and his buddy Toad are off to a party, and they invite readers (and a black cat) along for the ride: “ ‘Beep! Beep! Beep!’ / says Little Blue. / ‘It’s Halloween!’ / You come, too.” As they drive, they are surprised (and joined) by many of their friends in costume. “Who’s that in a tutu / striking a pose / up on the tiniest / tips of her toes? / Under the mask / who do you see?” Lifting the flap unmasks a friend: “ ‘Quack!’ says the duck. / ‘It’s me! It’s me!’ ” The sheep is disguised as a clown, the cow’s a queen, the pig’s a witch, the hen and her chick are pirates, and the horse is a dragon. Not to be left out, Little Blue has a costume, too. The flaps are large and sturdy, and enough of the animals’ characteristic features are visible under and around the costumes that little ones will be able to make successful guesses even on the first reading. Lovely curvy shapes and autumn colors fade to dusky blues as night falls, and children are sure to notice the traditional elements of a Halloween party: apple bobbing, lit jack-o’-lanterns, and punch and treats.

Beloved Little Blue takes a bit of the mystery—and fear—out of Halloween costumes. (Board book. 2-4)