Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This bubbly creation is Swedish artist's Jönsson's first as an author-illustrator, and it's a treat. "I am Astrid," announces a voice emerging from an apparently empty living room, "and this is my sofa." Closer up, a small black object can be seen darting through the air. "I am a fly," she announces. With a loose line, Jönsson draws Astrid at ease on her sofa; she has huge eyes, a bristly topknot, and gossamer wings. She also has 43 siblings and special fly names for terrifying objects: a flyswatter is "the Big Bang," and the vacuum is "the Horrible Inhaling Machine." The charm of the story lies in seeing domestic life through Astrid's eyes as she sits serenely upside-down on the ceiling, looks at herself in the bathroom's "see-me glass" ("Hi, gorgeous!"), and describes favorite foods like "sweet wet things" (soda). In the story's only sustained episode, Astrid describes the terrible night in the refrigerator that put her off Danish salami forever. Those who happen upon this unexpected tell-all will vote Astrid their favorite representative of the genus drosophila. Ages 3-6. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Astrid would rather explore than help take care of her 43 baby brothers and sisters. When she can get away, she loves swimming in the sink, checking out the warm window (oven), using the see-me glass (mirror), or just looking around. When she's gone too long, her Aunt Ally tries to scare her with tales of the "big bang" (fly swatter), the "horrible inhaling machine" (vacuum), and the story of how Uncle Abe vanished. The young fly often explores at night to avoid those terrifying objects, but she loves the food she finds during the day, especially Danish salami. She explains that she once ate so much that she fell asleep next to it and found herself in a cold, dark place. Luckily, the light suddenly returned and she was able to escape and warm up by the flat, black sun (stove burner) and go home to the sofa. Now, "I eat only green things." Jönsson's spare illustrations are spot on. Her limited use of color in her line drawings is effective and the perspective is perfect-the flies are small without being tiny, there is plenty of detail but it's not overwhelming, and the flies have just the right expressions. It's a good precursor to Tedd Arnold's "Fly Guy" series (Scholastic). VERDICT For those who can ignore the facts that baby flies are actually maggots, that flies don't swim, that they vomit on their food before eating it, and that 58 flies live in a family's sofa, then there is plenty to enjoy in this humorous tale in which readers have the inside scoop.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Fly Astrid, who lives behind a sofa in a human-occupied house, describes her life in detail (e.g., she breaks down her favorite foods into categories, including "soft brown things"). Astrid is so dogged that readers will root for her on her quest for Danish salami. Jvnsson's illustrations feature great gags (the "warm flat black sun" is a burner on the stove). (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Astrid the fly introduces readers to her (huge) family and their home behind the sofa in this Swedish import. Astrid tells readers how she loves to fly and watch "what's happening behind the warm window" (the oven) and, most of all, how she loves to eat. Her favorite thing to eat is Danish salami! Once, she ate so much that she fell asleep in the refrigeratoralthough of course she doesn't really understand what the refrigerator is. Her aunt tries to school her into sensible behavior with stories of danger, most particularly of the HORRIBLE INHALING MACHINE (young readers will recognize the universality of the vacuum cleaner) that got Uncle Abe, but Astrid is intrepid in her desire for exploration and food. She is pretty cute and, frankly, not very flylike, with her topknot and rosy cheeks. Reds and yellows and a lively black line dominate the ink-and-watercolor illustrations; the pictures look appropriately (for a fly) dashed off but are carefully composed with an eye to pattern and shape. What flies really eat besides foodstuffs children will recognize remains unmentioned, although Astrid gives a nod to changing food choices in the end. Not natural history by any means, but this slice of (fly) life is beguilingly, infectiously whimsical. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
