Product Description

A restless firefly begins a search for other fireflies and is led to a lantern, a candle, the glowing eyes of a cat, dog, and owl, and a surprise celebration of light before he finds his friends and the reason for his journey.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10420 in Books
• Published on: 1995-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Amazon.com Review
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, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful Childs Book
This is a lovely book for children - the fireflies that light up at the end is a real hit!

the Very Lonely Caterpillar
Quick service....spoke with a kind man the helped me straighten out my order so it would be sent to a gifted party.

Excellent!
The book lights up! My 3 year olds love this book. It gets read every night.