The Fly (Disgusting Critters Series)

by Elise Gravel

Overview

The first in a series of humorous books about disgusting creatures, The Fly is a look at the common housefly. It covers such topics as the hair on the fly's body (requires a lot of shaving), its ability to walk on the ceiling (it's pretty cool, but it's hard to play soccer up there), and its really disgusting food tastes (garbage juice soup followed by dirty diaper with rotten tomato sauce, for example). Although silly and off-the-wall, The Fly contains factual information that will both amuse and teach at the same time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101918401
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	07/05/2016
Series:	Disgusting Critters
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	311,539
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

ELISE GRAVEL is an award-winning author/illustrator from Quebec. She has won a Governor General's Award for Children's Illustration in French, and is well-known for her original, wacky picture books and graphic novels. After completing her studies in graphic design, Elise found herself quickly swept up into the glamorous world of illustration. Her old design habits drive her to work a little text here and there into her drawings and she loves to handle the design of her assignments from start to finish. She is inspired by social causes and likes projects that can handle a good dose of eccentricity. The author lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for previous Disgusting Critters:

"Gross-out potential, for sure—but also likely to give larval entomologists a mild buzz..." - Kirkus Reviews

"Each page has incredible visual appeal and is very eye-catching.... Gravel's ability to turn the most disgusting fact into an adorable drawing is remarkable.... This series is a must-read for children who like the world's most unlikeable creatures. Highly Recommended." - CM Magazine

"Fact-filled enough to satisfy those interested in flies, yet with enough charm to grab those who aren't. This is a great entry into a series kids will likely latch onto." - School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2014-01-08
The author of the rousingly revolting Day in the Office of Doctor Bugspit (2011) dishes out more dirt with this appetite-spoiling introduction to the ubiquitous fly clan. Focusing particularly on houseflies (Muscidae), Gravel ties snippets of natural science—the fly "spits or vomits a bit of digestive fluid on his meal to soften it"—to humorous scenarios ("Jonathan! Did you spit on your food?" / "Yeeeesss, Mom." / "There's a good boy"). The black, blue, puce and red illustrations feature bulbous, anthropomorphic figures with limp wings and tubular noses, along with the occasional accessory (the "Teenager Muscidae" sports a slouch and a sideways baseball cap; the baby has a binky). Young readers will at least come away with a thorough understanding of how unsanitary these insects are and also, perhaps, clearer pictures of their physical makeup, life cycle and even some of the differences among fly species. Published simultaneously in the Disgusting Critters series, The Worm (978-1-77049-633-0) is equally edutaining. Gross-out potential, for sure—but also likely to give larval entomologists a mild buzz. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews