Frost, Helen. Among a Thousand Fireflies. Rick Lieder, Illus. Poetry. Candlewick, 03/2016. [26]pp. $15.99. 978-0-7636-7642-1. OUTSTANDING. GRADES K-3.
Using short, evocative free verse, Frost describes how fireflies use a wide variety of flashing light patterns to find their mates on a summer night. “Night is black/ and bright/ and warm./ It holds/ and carries/ their clear/ silent song.” Stunning color photographs fill the pages, featuring the fireflies against gauzy dark green and blue backgrounds. The use of this type of depth of field in the photographs adds a sense of mystery to the process and greatly complements the lyricism of the poetry. The mixed use of close-ups and distant photos adds richness to the story that allows readers to easily visualize the text. The design of the book is similarly outstanding. The text is set both on the pages and in solid borders of the page, with its color changing from page to page and, at times, even from word to word. Again, this gives readers clues to the text as well as a guide to reading the poem aloud. A short author’s note and some attributions finish this wonderful package.
Helen Bloch, Oakland PL