Fly Guy's Big Family

July 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-This is the 17th book in the series, and neither Fly Guy nor Buzz has lost his charm. When Buzz learns that Fly Guy is missing his family, he plans a surprise reunion to cheer up his friend. He puts out posters around the local trash cans to advertise the party, and when all 500 relatives show up, Buzz dumps a giant pile of garbage in the yard (adults will be happy to know that Buzz cleans up all the garbage in the end). Humorous touches including Fly Guy greeting various relatives with exclamations of "Cuz!" and "Bruzzer!" make this story a fun read. The comic artwork continues in the "Fly Guy" tradition, and there are various puns and comedic scenes, such as the family playing in the garbage, making this a silly and lighthearted tale. VERDICT Purchase where this series is popular.-V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elementary School, Raleigh, NC

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017
In this antic series' 17th episode, Buzz throws his lonely pet fly a surprizze party. Inspired by Fly Guy's drawings of "Muzzer" and "Fazzer," Buzz plants tiny invitations in every reeking trash can and pile of rot in the neighborhood--and opens the door to thousands of Fly Guy's relatives, after assuring them there are no "swatterzz" on the premises. "Wow!" says Buzz, delighted. "Flies have big families!" Fly Guy too is delighted: "Bruzzer! / Sizzter! / ... / Auntzie! / Unkz!" Buzz's parents are, understandably, nonplussed, but Buzz has it all planned out...even to the catering, as a garbage truck drives up and dumps a heap of stinking refuse in the yard. Out fly the guests to chow down and play amid the noxious noshes. It's a grand party, but time (as they say) flies, and ultimately the swarms disperse as the garbage is bagged up. As with all the Fly Guy books, Arnold makes the most of the contrast between readers' received assumptions about flies and Buzz's total ignorance of them, genially giving the former a 90-degree twist. Page-filling fleets of flies may give some readers (or their caregivers) pause, but it's hard not to get a kick out of the way the flies tuck into their garbage banquet, and the baby picture of a larval Fly Guy with a pacifier is pretty darn cute. "Thankz, Buzz!" says the grateful guest of honor at the end. Readers will agree it's the least a boy could do for his buzzom buddy. (Early reader. 5-7)

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January 1, 2018
When Fly Guy misses his family, his human friend Buzz puts up signs for a surprise party in all the stinkiest, fly-friendly places. Soon, thousands of flies arrive. True to the series, every illustration is integral to the narrative, and many of the flies have distinct, communicative facial expressions. Brief chapters with easy-to-sound-out words make this easy reader as accessible as it is humorous.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)