A Book of Flies Real or Otherwise [Hardcover]

Richard Michelson (Author), Leonard Baskin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 1999 | Age Level: 9 and up

If an insect can fly, we might think it's a fly and call it a fly, but can it join the club Diptera? That club (scientists call it an "order") is reserved for real flies only-to join, an insect must have six legs and two wings. There are close to 90,000 species of flies. In the witty poems and paragraphs of this enlightening book, you'll discover fantastic flies that exist only in the imagination and fascinating facts about nine real files-and even some non-flies you thought were flies! With a humorous and descriptive mix of poetry and prose, the author exposes several extraordinary variations of this ordinary household pest. Realistic and interpretive drawings mingle on the pages to depict the types of flies you might encounter. It's something to think about the next time you go to swat a fly! New York Public Library's 1999 "Best Children's Books for Reading and Sharing."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With more than a touch of whimsy and humor, this eccentric collection of poems and facts about flies is wonderfully outr?. Even more droll than Michelson and Baskin's previous collaborations (Animals that Ought to Be), this volume focuses on 13 insects. The pages first depict each species imaginatively, then factually. Baskin's fanciful Mydas Fly, for example, is seated on a kingly throne and opposed by a poem in which the fly declares that although he's "filthy rich... [his] gold's no good./ Flies can't buy cars... Flies don't wear clothes/ (or underwear)./ Our food is free./ O, woe is me./ I'm one unhappy millionaire." The next page includes a pen-and-ink drawing of three real-life Mydas flies; the facing text notes that "these mostly black flies do have an orange band, like a money belt, wrapped around their abdomens.... Like millionaires, they are rare, from old families, and mostly found vacationing in the Mediterranean climates." The fictional fruit fly sports more fruit than Carmen Miranda, while the factual prose text includes the news that a mother fruit fly "might lay twenty-five eggs a day for forty-five days in a row, and ask for nothing but a rotten bit of banana to eat." Sometimes the facts are Bart Simpson-ghoulish: "Coffin flies live their lives in buried coffins, feeding on dead bodies," and "Latrine flies really do lay their eggs in horse and cow droppings." The offbeat aggregate of facts and fictions, the splendid illustrations and the sly wit of both drawings and text will make this a book that both children and adults can enjoy together. All ages. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-This eccentric collection of poetry focuses on nine different species of flies and four other insects. Some of the selections describe realistic human encounters with flies, but the majority are about imaginary creatures based on literal interpretations of the insects' common names-a dragonfly breathes flames while a robber fly steals homework. The large, bright, watercolor paintings of the imaginary insects are followed by one or more smaller, realistic pen-and-ink drawings. A final page offers one or two paragraphs of text briefly describing some of the insects' physical or behavioral characteristics, plus assorted miscellaneous facts. An introduction also offers some general information about the members of the Diptera order. The 13 poems are mildly amusing, if unmemorable; some of them suffer from an awkward meter. A bigger handicap, though, is the format, which features entirely too much empty white space. Also, some of the literary allusions may be unfamiliar to readers. For instance, "Mydas Fly," refers to the Greek myth of King Midas; however, the factual text that follows the poem does not mention the myth. Douglas Florian's Insectlopedia (Harcourt, 1998) is a wittier collection in which the humor is based on some actual characteristic of the insect involved, rather than on its name alone. Its more straightforward approach will appeal to a wider age range than Michelson's title.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books; 1st edition (September 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761450505
• ISBN-13: 978-0761450504
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 10.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,945,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bugman's review, January 23, 2002

By 

Joe Bullock (Daytona Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Book of Flies Real or Otherwise (Hardcover)

This book is sure to delight both parents and children alike. Richard Michelson's whimsical poems coupled with fantastic illustrations by Leonard Baskin combine to make this book entertaining, educational and fun. Each fly receives dual treatment by the author and illustrator. First, a painting of the fly viewed through a child's literal eye matched with a humorous poem, followed by a factual monograph and technical sketch of the fly. Michelson and Baskin have concocted a brilliant collection of flies, real or otherwise.