Among a Thousand Fireflies
poem by Helen Frost
photographs by Rick Lieder
Candlewick Press, 2016. 28 pages.
This story is simple. What makes it amazing are the photographs.
We meet one firefly among thousands. She finds her match by the pattern her lights flash.
Across a distance
wide and dark,
she looks out from
her flower
and sees –Light. Dark.
Light. Dark.Inside the flower,
her light flashes back,
pulsing through the night.Here I am. She sends a silent call.
Over here.
Look! I’m here.
As I said, it’s a simple dramatization of a firefly finding its mate through the pattern of its flashes. But who knew that pictures of fireflies could be so stunning? I especially like the way her light lights up the flower she’s sitting on.
It’s simple. It’s short. But it will make you look twice. And it will help you notice the wonder of fireflies on the next summer night.
Mind you, kids are already good at noticing such things. I think this book will validate their wonder. And it may start a conversation about the science of fireflies, with some simple notes (so parents will know what they’re talking about) at the back of the book.
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/among_a_thousand_fireflies.html
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Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.
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