Ride, Fly Guy, Ride!

January 1, 2012
A ride in the car has never been scarier—or this much fun When Buzz (the boy) and Fly Guy (the fly, naturally) decide to go for a ride with Dad, things get exciting for the littlest member of the family. The seatbelt proves a poor restraint for the insect, and he is whisked out the window and into a passing truck driver's mouth and out the window again ("PTOOIE!"). All this happens in the first 12 pages! Arnold's enormous-eyed humans mimic Fly Guy's ping-pong-ball eyes, showing dramatic changes from joy to fear to sadness. (Buzz's leaking half-staff eyes when Fly Guy is lost in space will make any reader pause in empathy.) This newest installment moves with the speed of Fly Guy's temporary vehicles: car, truck, boat, train, plane, rocket and, finally, bicycle. Using a variety of page designs to keep up with Fly Guy, Arnold is careful to make sure the young readers know where to look next. Some panels span the gutter, while others change perspective suddenly to mirror the action. Clear type, bright white space and careful word choice make this a must-read for children ready for books a little more challenging than Elephant and Piggie. Keep flying, Fly Guy! (Early reader. 4-8)

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March 1, 2012
Preschool-G When Dad takes Buzz and his pet, Fly Guy, for a drive, a gust of wind blows the little fly out the car window and into a passing truck. Buzz and Dad dash to his rescue, hurtling over roads, across the water, down the rails, and into the air. The simply written text and expressive, cartoon-style illustrations create a series of tense moments and narrow escapes. A change of pace for the ever-popular Fly Guy series, this full-throttle adventure story will please beginning readers as well as younger fans of trucks and trains, boats and planes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)