F Is for Fireflies

March 15, 2011
Wargin continues her series of seasonal alphabet books (K Is for Kite: God's Springtime Alphabet, 2010, etc.) with this exploration of summertime delights interwoven with a religious message. Each page includes the traditional format ("B is for boat") in large type along with two or four rhyming lines in smaller type and a relevant illustration. God is included in the text in simple, relevant ways ("God calms the seas"), and there is no mention of Jesus, so the book could be used by a wider audience than just Christian readers. The rhyming text reinforces concepts of kind and cooperative behavior as well as presenting God as a powerful and loving force in the natural world. The references to God in the text are not preachy, and not every page mentions God, so the religious content flows naturally within the story. Bronson's vibrant, jazzy illustrations in ripe-fruit shades are filled with sunny skies, imaginative flowers and flowing lines that suggest the lively nature of happy summer days. The pictorial story follows a family and its spotted dog as they take part in traditional summer activities, but the illustrator makes this ode to summertime soar. Her paintings are filled with motion and bright colors, with children who look like they must be laughing and having a great time enjoying the outdoors. A sunny celebration. (Picture book/religion. 2-5)

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June 1, 2011

PreS-K-Summer holds magic, especially for children, and this alphabet book takes some of that season's beloved symbols and associates them with a metaphor for God's love and bounty. "He made the fireflies/light up the night, /a flash and a flicker-/his love is so bright." Most of the couplets have a bouncy rhythm, and many of Wargin's choices will indeed remind children of summer: daisies, ladybugs, picnics, swimming, etc. However, the word associations for some letters are haphazard and general, e.g., "O is for Owl." Bronson's vivid, loose paintings capture the season well. In a crowded field, this is an additional alphabet book.-Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC

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