Diary of a Fly

by Doreen Cronin, Harry Bliss (Illustrator)

Overview

This is the diary . . . of a fly.

Even though she's little—just like her best friends, Worm and Spider—Fly wants to be a superhero. And why not? She walks on walls, sees in all directions at once, and can already fly!

Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss, the team behind the #1 New York Times bestsellers Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Spider, reach hilarious heights with their story of a little fly who's not afraid to dream big. Really big.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060001568
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/21/2007
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	280,674
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Doreen Cronin is the New York Times bestselling author of Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider, and Diary of a Fly, as well as Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Giggle, Giggle, Quack. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and their daughters.

New York Times bestselling artist Harry Bliss is a cartoonist and cover artist for the New Yorker magazine. He is the author and illustrator of Bailey and Luke on the Loose and the illustrator of A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech, Which Would You Rather Be? by William Steig, Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, and Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo. His self-titled single panel gag cartoon Bliss appears in newspapers internationally. He lives in New Hampshire. You can visit him online at www.harrybliss.com.

Editorial Reviews

Fans of Diary of a Worm and Diary of a Spider will recognize the conventions behind the latest book from Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss: a young bug keeps a journal of tiny triumphs and frustrations. The story is light on plot but teeming with funny vignettes that blur the line between entomology and early childhood. Diary of a Fly is also a wry reminder of how frustrating it can feel to be small…
—The New York Times

Jessica Bruder

PreS-Gr 3

A young fly documents many everyday situations in her diary, from fitting in on the first day of school to having trouble with the babysitter, in this book (HarperCollins, 2007) by Doreen Cronin. Fly has 327 brothers and sisters and must learn things like landing on moving targets. Fly wants to be a superhero, but she's worried that she isn't special enough. Worm and Spider, Fly's friends, help her learn that "the world needs all kinds of heroes." This humorous tale includes lots of amazing facts about flies. Illustrator Harry Bliss narrates the characters with appropriately high-pitched voices. All of the text in the illustrations and on the end papers is also narrated, including the dialogue in the comics Fly is reading. Subtle sound effects and occasional music enhance the telling. Youngsters will adore Bliss's detailed, humorous illustrations. Young readers will love this imaginative recreation of a fly's world with a human twist.-Teresa Wittmann, Westgate Elementary School, Edmonds, WA

School Library Journal

This is the diary of a fly that is going to flight school for the first time. She experiences all of the first-day jitters and wonders if “she is the only one who eats regurgitated food.” Relieved to discover she is not, she learns many facts about flies. However, when she is not discovering new things, she spends time with her best friends, Spider and Worm, trying to escape her 327 brothers and sisters who are driving her crazy. Fly is determined that she wants to be a superhero, and why not? She has 4,000 lenses in each eye, can walk on walls, and can change directions in flight faster than the blink of a human eye. The colorful and detailed illustrations allow readers to get an inside view of the life of a fly. Reviewer: Casey Bedenbaugh; Ages 4 to 8.

Children's Literature - Casey Bedenbaugh