Amy's Light

by Robert Nutt (Illustrator)

Overview

In bed at night, Amy peers from under her covers at the dark shadows on the wall. But what is that flicker of light from the window? As she discovers the source of the mysterious light in her own backyard, she also learns something important about herself. The light, like many things in life, is something to be treasured but not contained, appreciated but always free. Here is a story to light one's evenings-any time of year.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781584691297
Publisher:	Dawn Publications
Publication date:	03/28/2010
Pages:	44
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	AD970L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

Amy is a little girl who is afraid of the dark. One night, when she is imagining monsters in the room, she sees a bright light outside of her window. When she goes to look, there are little lights flashing off and on in the yard. She puts on her robe and slippers and gets a jar and sneaks out of the house to catch the fireflies making the light so she can light up her room. When she gets them inside, however, she sees that they have stopped flashing. She opens the jar to check on them and they escape, flying around the room and out the window. Amy watches them in joy and then discovers that her room is not so dark anymore, that those were not monsters but shadows on her wall. She is no longer afraid and drifts off to sleep. At the end of the story is a page of facts about fireflies and a website link to a study being conducted by the Museum of Science in Boston, where they are asking people to report firefly activity because they are trying to find out why there are fewer being observed now than in previous years. There is also a website address for a site by Dr. Marc Branham, a scientist studying fireflies. With that information added, the book would be a good resource for science classes in schools, homeschooling, or simply to fuel a child's curiosity about these fascinating beetles. Another page, by the author, explains how he got his inspiration for the book, and a brief bio on the last page mentions that the illustrations are photo illustrations of his daughter Amy. Reviewer: Christine Cassello

Children's Literature - Christine Cassello

K-Gr 2—Using enhanced photographs of his daughter enacting the story line, Nutt tells of a girl named Amy who becomes scared of the dark until she sneaks outside to capture some fireflies in a jar. Their light dims in captivity; no longer afraid but fearful for their safety, she sets them free. Alongside each spread of beautifully rendered photo-illustrations are four lines of insipid and predictable verse. With such lines as "Jumping for joy,/Amy watched with delight,/as they flickered and flickered/and flew out of sight," the narrative becomes secondary to the visuals. While this is ostensibly a book about the wonders of nature, the technology that created the images takes center stage. This jarring contradiction is reinforced by an announcement on the cover that there is a Flash video download available of the story.—Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC

School Library Journal

In Nutt's debut, a magical encounter with fireflies helps a young girl overcome her fear of nighttime shadows. When Amy notices the glow outside her shadowy bedroom, she goes on a nighttime foray armed with a jar. Her childish enthusiasm and excitement are palpable as she collects the fireflies, the jar lighting the way back to her room. But, "With her eyes on the jar, / from the base to the rim, / she was suddenly saddened, / for the light had gone dim." Unscrewing the cover for a closer look frees the fireflies, and they regain their glow. And with their light outside, Amy is finally able to relax and sleep. While the rhythms and rhymes of the verses work for the most part, the word choices sometimes seem a little forced and out-of-place. The illustrations blend the realism of photographs with the softer look of paint, creating a whole that is warm and shows depth and texture. His artwork excels at portraying the contrast between shadow and light, with the light sources positively glowing. Sweet, with lovely artwork. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews