Hi! Fly Guy [Paperback]

Tedd Arnold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2006 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Tedd Arnold's hilarious HI! FLY GUY, originally published in 2005, is now available in paperback with foil on the cover!

Boy and fly meet and so begins a beautiful friendship. Er, and so begins a very funny friendship. Using hyperbole, puns, slapstick, and silly drawings, bestselling author/illustrator Tedd Arnold creates an easy reader that is full of fun.

This book is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–A boy goes out searching for a smart animal to take to The Amazing Pet Show and bumps into a fly that is intelligent enough to say the childs name, Buzz. Although his parents and the judges feel at first that a fly is only a pest, not a pet, the insect puts on a performance that astounds them all and wins an award. The cartoon illustrations showing characters with exaggerated wide eyes are delightful, but the text is somewhat weak and disjointed.–Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

PW
HI! FLY GUY
Author: Arnold, Tedd

Review Date: JULY 15, 2005
Publisher:Cartwheel/Scholastic
Pages: 32
Price (hardback): $5.99
Publication Date: 9/1/2005 0:00:00
ISBN: 0-439-63903-4
ISBN (hardback): 0-439-63903-4
Category: CHILDREN'S
Pest—or Pet? A fly changes some minds in this diminutive tale—first, by astounding the lad who captures him in a jar ("BUZZ!" "You know my name! You are the smartest pet in the world!"), then, thanks to some fancy flying, by convincing the lad's parents and ultimately even the judges of the Amazing Pet Show that he's more than just a nuisance. A pop-eyed, self-confident mite in Arnold's droll cartoon illustrations, Fly Guy's up to any challenge, whether it be eating a hot dog (well, most of it, anyway), or performing amazing aerial acrobatics; readers drawn by the flashy foil cover will stick around to applaud this unusually capable critter. Any similarity to Ezra Jack Keats's Pet Show! (1972) is surely coincidental. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus
Hi! Fly Guy
Tedd Arnold. Scholastic/Cartwheel, $5.99 (32p) ISBN 0-439-63903-4
A fly went flying," opens Arnold's (Parts) brief, playful tale, structured in three chapters. At the same time, "A boy went walking." The winged fellow is looking for food and the boy is searching for a critter for the upcoming Amazing Pet Show. The two equally and comically bug-eyed beings meet when the fly collides with the human hero's nose ("boink") and the lad captures it in a glass jar. After the infuriated insect stomps his foot and says, "Buzz!" the amazed boy replies, "You know my name! You are the smartest pet in the world!" Buzz shows his new pet, which he names Fly Guy, to his parents; his father announces that flies are pests and grabs a swatter—until the sly fly lands on Buzz's nose and calls him by name. In one of the book's funniest pictures, Fly Guy is dwarfed by the hot dog Buzz places in his jar, most of which he happily consumes. Though the pet show judges tell Buzz that flies don't qualify as pets, Fly Guy rises to the occasion and wows the judges with various feats, clinching the prize for smartest pet. Suitably wacky cartoon art accompanies the text, which is simple enough for beginning readers ready to soar to a chapter-book format. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
BCCB
A fly out flying encounters a boy out looking for a pet, and it's a match made in early-reader heaven
. The fly apparently knows the boy's name-Buzz-which endears the insect to his new master (and his
skeptical parents). Buzz takes Fly Guy, as he's named his new pet, to the Amazing Pet Show, where
clever Fly Guy wins over doubting judges with his ability to say his master's name and perform tricks
. The story ends pretty abruptly, but this is aimed squarely at an audience with only slightly more
reading stamina than the common housefly anyway; the controlled vocabulary (with a few more
challenging words thrown in) and frequent repetition add to the ease of access. The look is edgy
, especially the cover's motion-effect iridescent graphics, with the interior art sporting Arnold's
trademark bulbous-eyed caricatures textured with hairy squiggles; Buzz, who has the stocky solidity of
a trash can, is actually rather more taciturn than the hyper-expressive Fly Guy, whose antics steal the
show. Novice readers, particularly those unmoved by cuddlier stories, will welcome the doriy wit of
this oddball-pet saga. DS

SLJ ARNOLD, Tedd. Hi! Fly Guy! illus. by author. 30p. CIP. Scholastic/Cartwheel. 2005. Tr $5.99. ISBN 0-439-63903-4. LC 2004020553.
K-Gr 2–A boy goes out searching for a smart animal to take to “The Amazing Pet Show” and bumps into a fly that is intelligent enough to say the child's name, “Buzz.” Although his parents and the jud

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cartwheel Books; Reprint edition (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439853117
• ISBN-13: 978-0439853118
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Pets
  • #17 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Bugs & Spiders
  • #85 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > School

More About the Author

Born in Elmira, New York, Tedd grew up in a family of six with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida. He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. Carol, a Kindergarten teacher, drew Tedd's attention to children's books. Their first son, Walter, inspired his breakthrough picture book, No Jumping on the Bed!. His second son, William, now stars in No More Water in the Tub!, a sequel to his first book. He has now published more than 30 books as author and illustrator. When not working on his books, Tedd's interests include tennis, sketching, reading, coin collecting, and the computer."The inspiration to begin writing and illustrating for children came from my wife, Carol. As a kindergarten teacher, she collected picture books. I was attracted to their colorful pages and the way the words and pictures played with each other, much like the captioned cartoons I had drawn when I was young."Perhaps the biggest surprise of my career as an author is that I'm now going back to elementary school! Visiting young readers in classrooms and libraries is something I love. Kids keep me on my toes and they ask a lot of questions. The number one question seems to be, 'Where do you get your ideas?' It's also the hardest question to answer because every idea is different. Some ideas seem to pop out of thin air -- while I'm in the shower or walking the dog. Others come from reading or research. But most of my ideas come from my family and the things they do and say."For instance, one time when my first son, Walter, was five years old, I found him lying on the couch, looking pale as a ghost and clutching a Bible to his chest. He was praying! When I asked what was wrong, he wouldn't answer. In fact, he wouldn't even open his mouth. My wife, Carol, finally coaxed a response from him: he pointed inside his mouth. Carol exclaimed, 'You have a loose tooth!' Walter's eyes nearly popped out with fright. We quickly assured him that it was perfectly okay for his tooth to come loose and that a new one would replace it. But Carol and I looked at each other and realized that despite all our efforts to be good parents, we had somehow completely forgotten to warn Walter that teeth fall out! He had thought he was falling apart! I made a little note in my journal; then ten years later, I expanded that memory into my book Parts."Tedd Arnold lives in Elmira, New York, with his wife, Carol, two sons, Walter and William, two cats, Cody and Frankie, and one dog, Hershey.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fly Guy Rules! February 11, 2006

By Pam T TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

My children and I all love `Fly Guy'. [They are boy and girl: 4 and 6 years-old). They love the wacky drawings and the endearing plot, and I love that this is going to be a great reader for both of them in the near future.

"Hi! Fly Guy" begins with a boy's search for the ultimate pet to take with him to 'The Amazing Pet Show'. Against all odds he decides on a fly. Why? Because his name is Buzz and when the fly "stomped his foot and said - BUZZ!"... well you can see where this is going.

In any case, some great silliness ensues and Buzz manages to convince not only his parents but the judges at the pet contest that they ought to at least consider the notion that a fly can be a pet.

Five Stars. Great story that doesn't talk down to children. Good Read-aloud. This book can be a great early reader. The vocabulary is fairly simple, and the number of words per page is not high (ranging from 2 to about 20 words per page). In addition, the concept of chapters is introduced, although the whole book is small. An example of text from the first 5 pages of the book follows so you can judge for yourself.

A fly went flying.

He was looking

for something to eat -

something tasty,

something slimy.

A boy went walking.

He was looking for

something to catch -

something smart,

something for

The Amazing Pet Show.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun book for beginning readers October 9, 2005

By K. Heumann

Format:Hardcover

My son is just getting the hang of reading. We have read many of the Hillert and Capuccilli books with great enjoyment. As I was walking through the book store I saw this book. We have enjoyed many of Tedd Arnold's books together through the years. I was thrilled when I opened this one up and saw that it would be perfect and fun practice reading for my son. At first he was skeptical that he would be able to read it alone but after the first couple pages he was reading and giggling along.

Since his first reading he has wanted to share this book with others. I would highly reccommend this as a fun book to make reading enjoyable for those who are just getting into the swing of it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and sweet! February 17, 2006

By Mum to future

Format:Hardcover

My first grader had had this 2 days and he has read it out loud to us and his friend half a dozen times. It has given him a big confidence boost in his reading ability. He even wants to take the book into class so HE can read out loud to them, amazing. It is a funny cute story with adorable illustrations, we want more Fly Guy and Buzz stuff!! Best spent $5.99 this week.