Fly, Firefly

April 15, 2020
Preschool-G When a firefly is carried on a wind current over the beach and out to sea, he mistakes the sparkling ocean lights for other fireflies and dives toward it, accidentally getting caught underwater. Fortunately, the narrator is wading nearby to fish it out and set it free to fly back home to its family. It seems a missed opportunity that the story is told so very simplistically in somewhat pat and unevenly metered rhyming couplets and for such a young age that its readers won't yet be able to appreciate or comprehend its backstory (it was inspired by a Rachel Carson observation) or the back matter on bioluminescence, which is very informative. But despite the flawed storytelling, the artwork is quite lovely in its soft, sweeping swirls of wind and water. The close-ups of the firefly give it a wonderful sense of emotion, and it's terrific that the story deviates from its origin to be retold featuring people of color.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)