The Very Lonely Firefly (Penguin Young Readers, Level 2)

Many of Eric Carle's books begin with a small creature being born just as a great yellow sun rises. This time the hero is a firefly, and the inimitably Carle-ish cut-paper orange-and-yellow sun is setting. The firefly buzzes off in search of companionship, but keeps following other lights by mistake--a candle, a flashlight, a lantern--and these in turn are all leading in the direction of a fireworks display. Finally, the lonely firefly finds the friends it is seeking--a dozen or more other fireflies. This is one of a series of large (11.5 by 8.5 inches) format Carle books with a mechanical twist: in this case, the firefly's new group of friends start to flash (from tiny yellow bulbs embedded in the book) as you turn the last page. (The battery is replaceable.) (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr From Publishers Weekly With characteristic simplicity-and the now expected visual "surprise" at book's end-Carle delivers another heartwarming tale about a diminutive creature on a quest. In the author/artist's words, his latest story "is about belonging." As the sun sets, a firefly is born: "It stretched its wings and flew off into the darkening sky." Searching for other fireflies, the lonely little guy flies hopefully toward other lights (a bulb in a window, a candle, a flashlight, the shining eyes of an owl, car headlights, fireworks), only to discover that they are not what he is looking for. Youngsters will be as tickled as the no-longer-lonely firefly to find, on the last spread, "a group of fireflies, flashing their lights"-with the help of replaceable batteries (final version not seen by PW). Carle's richly hued, collage-like art and gentle text will be comfortingly familiar to his numerous young devotees. Ages 4-up. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 1?This final addition to the "Very Quartet" is classic Carle in both story and illustrations. It's a natural continuation of his other stories about insects that teach young readers universal emotions, needs, and a variety of other concepts. The illustrations help the story unfold, as readers see a newborn firefly at the end of its first day. It searches for companionship, mistaking a lightbulb; candle; flashlight; lantern; dog, cat, and owl eyes; headlights; and fireworks for its own kind. Finally, it discovers a group of fireflies, giving him the gift of companionship. There's also evidence of a sublayer of the belonging theme here, as a human family is portrayed discovering the fireworks display. The illustrations are painted cut-paper collages, designed to draw the eye to the page. This is a compelling accomplishment that will leave readers and listeners alike wishing Carle would turn the quartet into a quintet. A guaranteed winner as a read-aloud or read-alone.?Christina Dorr, Calcium Primary School, NYCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Ages 3^-6. Born one evening as the sun sets, a little firefly stretches its wings and goes off looking for others of its kind. Attracted by the lights, it flies toward a candle, a flashlight, a lantern, and finally a sky full of fireworks, only to be disappointed. When everything quiets down, though, other fireflies come out and flash their lights. The little firefly isn't lonely anymore. Although the text may not be as strong as in Carle's best picture books, its simplicity and its depiction of feeling lonely and finding one's place in a group will appeal to preschoolers. As the flap copy says, " The Very Lonely Firefly is about belonging ." The illustrations, collages of painted papers, make strong visual statements in the artist's signature style. Carolyn Phelan Praise for The Very Lonely Firefly : "Carle's richly hued, collage-like art and gentle text will be comfortingly familiar to his numerous young devotees."-- Publishers Weekly "This is a compelling accomplishment [and a] guaranteed winner as a read-aloud or read-alone."-- School Library Journal Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for very young children. His best-known work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar , has been translated into 70 languages and sold over 55 million copies. Carle illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote, and more than 170 million copies of his books have sold around the world. In 2003, Carle received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now called the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 2002, Eric and his wife, Barbara, cofounded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (www.carlemuseum.org) in Amherst, Massachusetts, a 40,000-square-foot space dedicated to the celebration of picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world,xa0underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form. Eric Carle passed away in May 2021 at the age of 91. His work remains an important influence on artists and illustrators at work today. www.eric-carle.com Read more