Franny the Fearless Firefly
Franny the Fearless Firefly accomplishes the tough task of teaching alliteration, vocabulary, and science.
What happens when a little firefly gets too bold for her britches? Young readers will have a ball following Franny’s daring exploits in Christina Murphey’s Franny the Fearless Firefly.
Franny’s father worries because she’s constantly getting into dangerous situations, and her friends Fred, Fiona, and Fritz also express their concern. She never thinks that anything is going to happen to her, but she often has close encounters with creatures like finches, frogs, and fish. Soon she finds herself trapped inside a child’s glass jar. The story line is simple and relatable, particularly for young children who are inclined to believe that they will not ever get into any trouble.
The narrative creates the perfect opening for conversations about listening to authority figures. The end of the book has three pages of supplemental material that wrap it up nicely, including questions for conversation, facts about fireflies, and a glossary of included words that begin with F. The inclusion of words like “fatigued” and “flustered” make reading Franny the Fearless Firefly a nice way to develop a more advanced vocabulary, while the questions and facts are ideal to use for discussion. From the title on, alliteration abounds, and children will love reading and hearing these lines, in which most of the words begin with the same consonant sound.
Murphey is the book’s illustrator as well as its author. The text and illustrations work together seamlessly, with vibrant, colorful pictures adding a deep level of understanding to the plot. The simply designed cover is also beautiful, making the book attractive enough for little hands to pick right from the shelf.
Franny the Fearless Firefly manages to accomplish a tough task: teaching alliteration, vocabulary, and science, all without being too busy. Educators, parents, and students alike will be enthralled.
Reviewed by
Kelly Thunstrom
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
