Firefly Galaxy

March 1, 2024
Nature at night offers a magical experience--one, sadly, now threatened by humans. Diego, Lili, Chico the dog, Papa and Mama, and the young narrator, Sofia, are eager to view fireflies. They must be patient and quiet, until suddenly, it's "like the sky dropped in!" as the air fills with sparkles. Sofia isn't content just to dance with the fireflies; the child sets out to catch one--and does. Eventually the narrator's possessiveness ("mine all mine") gives way to empathy, and Sofia frees the firefly and then "flies" off, "wild and free" with the other children and Chico. Text includes both rhyming verses and dialogue. The meter isn't always consistent, and some phrasing is awkward ("The porch is hot / with wiggly feet"). In the charming, collagelike art, the hot oranges of sunset give way to violet, turquoise, teal, and navy shades. Colors form simplified flat shapes, without lines; vegetation is stylized. The narrator and Papa wear glasses; Mama, Lili, and Sofia are brown-skinned, while Papa and Diego are pale-skinned. Backmatter conveys a lot of information about fireflies, including why they flash and where they can be found, but nowhere are we told what the titular firefly galaxy is, and the visuals don't clarify that term. Glowing illustrations enliven this tale of nature's delights. (Picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from May 1, 2024

PreS-Gr 3-In this book, Sofia cradles the jar Papa poked holes in and gazes skyward, as her family eagerly awaits the arrival of fireflies. Then, a twinkling overhead and the owl's call herald their arrival. Her siblings, Lili and Diego, dash every which way; but Sophia tiptoes through the grass and captures a firefly in her jar. She admires the firefly, watching its light blink "slow-soft, slow-soft" for a few moments before releasing it. In a suitably dazzling finish, Sophia spreads her arms and takes to the sky, along with her siblings and faithful dog, "like fireflies with new wings." Collage illustrations evoke the beauty of nighttime and confirm the closeness of Sophia's biracial family. A grand, deliberate use of repetition, alliteration, and rhythm pace the story, offering moments of breathless exhilaration and pauses for contemplative awe. Back matter includes firefly facts, such as how they make light and why they flash, their life cycle, where they live, and tips on how to help fireflies survive in an increasingly urban world. VERDICT Well-crafted collage art complements lyrical text to create a luminous read-aloud.-Marilyn Taniguchi

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
A young girl and her family watch and wait for fireflies to come out at night. Caracol's striking paper-collage illustrations are a good match for Nelson's child-friendly text, both of which capture the magic of a firefly show: "It's like the sky dropped in!" Facts about fireflies, including information about their life cycles and bioluminescence, are helpfully appended.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)