Customer Reviews

Fly by Night

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This sweet and gentle book follows a young boy through one night of dreams. You see, in his dreams he can fly...! It is a simple tale, but fanciful and comforting. I bought a copy for a friend with children. She said that they complained when she started reading it to them because it is small, not brightly colored, and Maurice Sendak's artwork is fairly sophisticated in pen and ink. But when she insisted that they stop half way through... such pleading to continue! May you, too, have such troubles.

Although it's told mostly in prose, this lovely little tale by Randall Jarrell, more of a vignette or meditation than a story, is poetry of the purest sort. The tone is dreamlike, and the wonderous illustrations by Maurice Sendak only enhance that tone. The world of dreams is described in crisp, precise images that evoke several of the senses at once, and the timeless quality of dreams is perfectly depicted. While it's marketed as a children's book, and certainly will be treasured by all sensitive children, it's equally enchanting for any discerning adult. Highly recommended!

This book was so scary and spooky. I couldn't guess what was going happen next. You must read it. You'll want to put it down but you won't be able to.

This is indeed a lovely small book. However, Maurice Sendak chose to depict David, the boy who's dreaming / flying, as naked. I don't know why; it's my strong impression that virtually all children sleep in PJs, so whether he's dreaming or truly flying, either way he should be clothed. Older kids might take this in stride, but parents and teachers of younger ones, be forewarned: two of the illustrations show David's buttocks, and one clearly shows his genitals. I'd gotten this for my third grade class, but I don't feel I can put it in my classroom library; as a parent myself, it wouldn't upset me, but I don't have the right to make that decision for the parents of my students.

At night, David can fly at daytime he can't. He thinks it fun until he realizes it is dangerous.