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Title: Hi! Fly Guy
Author: Tedd Arnold
Year published: 2005
Publisher: Cartwheel Books, Scholastic Inc.
Number of pages: 30
Recommended age: 4+
Son Rating: ★★★★☆
Grown-up Rating: ★★★★☆
Reviewed by Featured Guest Reviewers: Paul and Dominic (Father and Son) of Mother Daughter Book Reviews
Summary (from Amazon): 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!
SON SAYS
What it’s about: This book is about a fly who is smart and he meets a boy who he becomes friends with.
What I liked and disliked: There were lots of funny parts in the book. Like, it was funny how the fly ate a giant hot dog. It was funny when the fly went “Boink” into the boy’s nose on page 6 and that’s how they met. It’s funny when they show the tallest pet, the cutest pet, the pet with most legs, heaviest pet, and the smartest pet. That’s one of my favorite parts.
I really liked the pictures in the book. They were funny. I really liked pages 28 and 29 where they show all the awards for the animals – it’s my favorite. I also liked the drawings of the fly flying around. The one on page 21 is the one I liked the most because it looks the trickiest. The cover is really cool because if you look at it and move it up and down, it looks like the circles on the cover are turning. It’s really cool and shiny!!
There was nothing I didn’t like about this book.
My bottom line: I read this book to my Dad and I liked it. I would recommend it to boys 7 and under.
DAD SAYS
What it’s about: The book is about a boy who becomes friends with a fly and the boy decides that the fly is very smart because the fly knows his name. The boy’s name is Buzz. Everyone tells the boy that flies can’t be pets, but the boy persists in calling him his pet.
What I liked and disliked: This story is really about the boy trying to conform to societal norms but then in the end breaking free from that expectation and staying true to his friend the fly. The lesson is that even though everyone says that the world is a certain way, if you feel strongly about something then you should stick to your own beliefs. I think the lesson is beyond a six year-old’s intellect, but I think a six-year old could still take away the lesson of defending your friends and being loyal to your friends.
This book has many clever parts such as when the fly gets mad and buzzes loudly and the boy thinks the fly knows his name which just happens to be Buzz. Another funny part is when Buzz takes care of Fly Guy by feeding him a whole hot dog with the bun.
I think the pictures are great. The book is well-illustrated. The fly has very good caricature and is as appealing as a fly can be. Dominic really liked the way the fly looks.
I think the story could have included more funny parts. The first two chapters had some funny moments, but then there was nothing strikingly funny after that.
My bottom line: I loved the humour of the book and the illustrations in the book. I would recommend this book to 4 to 6 year old to girls and boys.
*** We borrowed Hi! Fly Guy from the local library. ***
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