The Fly by Petr Horáček (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Fly by Petr Horáček Elizabeth Bush Horáček, Petr The Fly; written and illus. by Petr Horáček. Candlewick, 2015 32p ISBN 978-0-7636-7480-9 $14.99 Ad 3-6 yrs Our titular narrator just can’t catch a break. He points out, quite reasonably, the irony of a housefly being unwelcome in a house and airs several complaints about the creatures with whom he must coexist. Those 156 laps around the ceiling light humans consider so annoying? That’s how he keeps fit. That trip to the fruit bowl for a snack that they begrudge him? He’s perfectly willing to share, but the humans aren’t equally gracious. Sweet-smelling cows flick him away with their tails and birds try to eat him; even worse, a red-headed boy pursues with deadly intent. The fly’s-eye vantage point is deftly conveyed, particularly the topsy-turvy scene in which the fly addresses viewers from the ceiling, while the boy seems suspended from the floor. The boy’s blue flyswatter plays a big role here, its edges die-cut into the heavy paper stock for maximum page-turning effect (“Whoops! FLAP! Here we go again!”). The ending, however, is puzzling at best, problematic at worst: “So, if you see me, please be kind. HEY, don’t close the book. . . . HELP . . . HELP . . . Do you want to squash me?” This Hobson’s choice will undoubtedly delight more sanguinary readers—after all, you can’t leave the book open forever—but children who have actually come around to empathizing with the beleaguered little guy may be less pleased to find themselves cornered by the interactive gag. Elise Gravel’s The Fly (BCCB 5/14) may be the better compromise, with its affable narrator, goofy jokes, broader scope of information, and life-and-let-live spirit. Copyright © 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois