Live for Each Moment
Debbie Glade, who absolutely loves insects, weighs in on a picture book for young readers.
Mayfly Day ($8.99, Anderson Press, Ages 3 and up) is a special picture book about the insect known as the Mayfly. Why write a book about a Mayfly you ask? Well, Mayflies are not your typical insects. They live only for one single day. But as we learn in this story, they make the most of every single moment of that most important day.
I love the way author Jeanne Willis writes about the Mayfly’s daily activities. Her style is informative, yet poetic and reads much like non-rhyming verse. Readers learn about about how the Mayfly lives – being born, mating, laying eggs and dying all in the same day. And they also learn what she is thinking; the book is very positive, giving the perspective of a creature most grateful for the life she has, no matter how short that may be.
English artist Tony Ross (perhaps best known for his Horrid Henry work), who has illustrated other Jeanne Willis books, does a marvelous job with Mayfly Day. His pastel illustrations are colorful and wispy and and are just perfect for this wonderful story.
If you love insect books, you might want to also check out these other titles: Step Gently Out and What’s Lurking in the Garden?