Fly Guy and the Frankenfly

August 1, 2013
"It was a dark and stormy night" as series fans find Fly Guy and Buzz hard at work in their 13th adventure. Buzz and his insect buddy are playing. After an evening of making puzzles, trying on creepy costumes and admiring a drawing Buzz created featuring them both in their frighteningly fun garb, Buzz's eyes get heavy and he climbs into bed. But Fly Guy is up to something--he is "BIZZY!" Buzz drops off into dreamland...or does he? A couple of page turns reveal Fly Guy on the verge of bringing a gigantic monster to life. A flip of an electrical switch sets the nightmare in motion. "Buzz cried, 'It's Frankenfly!' " The enormous, green creature responds to Buzz's shout and shambles over to him. No surprise that Fly Guy comes to Buzz's rescue just as the monster, more silly than menacing, picks him up. Morning comes with a fall out of bed to reveal the result of the project Fly Guy was determined to finish the previous night. Giggles and grape juice bring this latest installment to a satisfying close. All the while, Arnold's deftly drawn cartoon expressions comically show the range of emotions as Buzz and Fly Guy experience fear, shock, bewilderment, determination and pride. The theme of friendship and loyalty endures in this enjoyable mock-horror tale for new readers. (Easy reader. 5-7)

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July 1, 2013
Grades K-2 One evening, Buzz makes monster puzzles and monster masks with his pet fly, Fly Guy. That night, Buzz dreams that Fly Guy creates an enormous monster, Frankenfly, which goes out of control. The nightmare ends the next morning, when Buzz awakens and finds what Fly Guy really created that night. For all the scary-monster thrills delivered here, there's reassurance, too: you can only be so afraid of a monster with a Band-Aid on his nose. Beginning readers will appreciate the vibrant art and simple text. Once again, Arnold takes a fresh approach to the theme of boy-and-his-pet affection that unifies the Fly Guy series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)