When the Fireflies Come

by Jonathan London, Terry Widener (Illustrator)

This delicious depiction of the quintessential summer night opens with screen doors slamming, burgers sizzling on the grill, ice cream dripping, bare feet slapping on blacktop, and boys and girls playing baseball. Shadows lengthen, the first twinkling stars appear, and then . . . the fireflies come! The kids scramble to capture the blinking bugs in jars, only to set them free when it's time to go home. Crickets sing them to sleep, and still they play ball . . . in their dreams. Terry Widener's exuberant figures and cool summer-evening palette brilliantly evoke the joy and sensations in Jonathan London's lyrical text.
Illustrated by Terry Widener.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Summer, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2003

About the author

Jonathan London is the author of several celebrated children's books. His commitment to honoring the wonders of the natural world has been lauded by readers and critics alike. He is the author of more than 70 children's books, many of which are about nature. He's also the author of the popular Froggy series. He lives in Graton, California with his wife and two sons.

Reviews

[raccoon reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son ADORES this book. We were all sad to see it go back to the library. It's one of those weird things, where your kid likes what they like despite your flimsy opinion.

Me: I don't like the choppy sentences and language. I don't like the weird shaped faces like really bad folk art you can buy at cheap, barely worth your time local art "festivals" where your aunt patty rolls out her bad paintings she thinks are amazeballs.

Son: Asked a million questions each night about words and pictures. Questioned the artists decision to draw certain things certain ways (the why of it). I mean, this kid wanted to *KNOW* this book inside and out. He loved it. He wanted it read almost every night by everyone he could corner into doing it. He basically had it memorized by the time we returned it to the library.

I may not care for the book, but he certainly did, and that's why we read to them right? So they can develop their own love of reading? Even if it so vastly differs from our own.

[Sirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a celebration of a summer childhood. There's not much of a story here, but it's full of strong emotions and beautiful words. I could almost taste my childhood memories, which was nice in its own way.

[Marianne Blackstone Tabner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicely described my own childhood growing up in the east coast and chasing and catching fireflies and playing kickball in the street with the neighborhood children. Sweet!

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

London Odyssey #84
A nostalgic look at a Summer with food and fun outside - very reflective of an era possibly gone, it would be enjoyable for the parents more than the children reading it perhaps.

[Mhm Storytelling]

This book is about a group of kids on a summer day. They have a barbeque, play games, eat ice cream and catch fireflies. This book has a lot of opportunities for interaction because it highlights the sounds of summer.

Ways to interact:
Sounds: owl, change, baseball bat
Questions: What games do you like to play outside?
Motions: catching fireflies, swinging a bat, eating ice cream
Identification: What animal is making a noise in the tree?

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wan't a huge fan of the illustrations, but this story is very evocative of childhood summers and spending hours outside (remember that?)

Veg*n parents note: Barbequed meat and ice cream is mentioned in the story. The children catch fireflies in jars, but feel sorry for them and free them at the book's conclusion.

[Kristen Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a snooze. There wasn't much of a plot to this, but it wasn't the worst book I've read. I don't think this would entertain kids very much. I literally fell asleep reading this book. Maybe read it before nap time to kindergarteners?

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

summer, baseball, friends, school's out, playing in the dark, fireflies

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story reminded me of catching flies in my childhood neighborhood! Nice summertime walk down Memory Lane!

[Sara]

English teaching: figurative language: onom, pers, meta, simile

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great. My students really loved it.

[Sandy Albarado]

31 May 2015

[Stefani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children play during the day and at night.