Mayfly

by Marthe Jocelyn

School is over! Hurry, pack up all your summer clothes (don’t forget your bathing suit!), load everything into the car, and find a spot in the backseat. Summer is about to begin.

The siblings in Marthe Jocelyn’s new picture book can’t wait to get to the cottage. The smell of pine needles, the first swim off the dock, playing summer games, and greeting their old friend, the rowboat Mayfly, are among the summer fun that young readers will identify with.

Delightfully illustrated with Jocelyn’s signature collages, Mayfly captures the incomparable excitement of the beginning of summer vacation and those seemingly endless days that follow, which children (and grown-ups) look forward to all year round.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 9, 2004

About the author

Canadian born
22 books published for young readers"

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much if any true plot is featured in Marthe Jocelyn's Mayfly (and the book title refers to the name of the family's rowboat), as the text presents mostly a series of fun lists presenting the joys of summer, the delights of an extended family vacation at a traditional Canadian (actually more to the point, a Central and Eastern Canadian) cottage (a rustic cabin by the lake, with no air conditioning and indoor plumbing, but with quiet family time, swimming, boating, watching wildlife, roasting marshmallows). And of course, when the days get shorter and the nights begin to get longer (and a bit colder, necessitating sweaters in the evening), it is time to pack up, turn off, shut down the cottage for the season and head back to the city and a new school year. Three stars for Mayfly (and while recommended, not really a total must read, although summer and what makes a traditional Canadian family cottage so special, so relaxing and rejuvenating, are indeed glowingly, lovingly presented by the Marthe Jocelyn).

Now with regard to the accompanying collage-like illustrations (also seemingly by Marthe Jocelyn, who acts as both author and illustrator for Mayfly), while they are descriptive and bright, I would also in no way ever consider them personal favourites. Yes, the artwork works well enough with Marthe Jocelyn’s presented narrative and especially some of the full page spreads are truly spectacular and gorgeous (such as the picture of the cottage surrounded by trees and bordered by the lake and the nighttime bonfire scene), but I do tend to find especially many of the human figures depicted as not all that aesthetically pleasing to and for my eyes.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marthe Jocelyn does a great job with the illustrations and text for this book which is about an urban family going off to a cabin at the lake for the summer. This book is specifically about the packing, travel, activities at the Lake as well as closing up the cabin for the winter. Children, who have the opportunity to go to a family cabin, will enjoy the story, however its attraction for the broader group is probably limited.

[Spencer Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the textured illustrations and the details from what felt like a real Canadian summer!

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book that celebrates the carefree fun of summer. The narrative is short and the mixed-media illustrations are very creative and nicely detailed. We enjoyed reading this book together.

This story was nominated as one of the books for the August 2012 - Traveling reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads. It wasn't one of the books selected, but we wanted to read it anyway.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

summer/summer vacation

no plot

[Rani · Rating 3 out of 5]

What to do in #summer? Follow the kids as they enjoy and soak in the spirit of sun!

[J.]

AR 1.8

J read 2020