13 Ways to Eat a Fly, written by Sue Heavenrich and illustrated by David Clark. Charlesbridge, Penguin Random House. 2021. $19.99 ages 5 and up

 

"13

Zapped

In the blink of an eye, a wood frog snaps
out its tongue and catches a fly. The frog
closes its eyes and swallows, using its
eyeballs to push the fly down its throat.

Kids who want to practice their counting skills need look no further than this book that encourages their full attention as they watch thirteen different species of flies and gnats meet their demise at the will of an array of predators. 

Readers are first introduced to the species in a full spread of images for all thirteen:

"Big flies, 
     small flies, 
        fat flies,
            thinner. 

Yum! These flies are someone's dinner."

Even though many have a strong dislike for flies, there are animals and plants who depend on them for sustenance. They quite like having them nearby. The numbers begin at 13, with the flies spread across the top of the page. A frog quickly snaps up the blue bottle fly as it does its best to avoid capture. Moving on the long-legged fly gets tangled in the web of a garden spider. At the bottom of this page, the illustrator offers the flies that are left - twelve of them. So it goes from single to double-page spreads, always with the images of the descending number of flies shown in a long line for constant counting.  

The species of each fly is named (common and scientific) and a brief paragraph of accessible information is provided. The title for each page is rhymed with the one that follows. 

"Snatched

A well-camouflaged crab spider waits, motionless
in a flower. When an unsuspecting fly lands - 
pounce! The spider grabs the fly with its powerful 
front legs and sinks its fangs into the fly's head." 

Following the demise of the last counted fly, the author explains that human don't often eat flies (unless they swallow one by running into it). She does say that some people do eat other insects, and that research is being done to make use of more in foods for human consumption. A fly's life cycle is added, as a well as a tongue-in-cheek guide to fine dining, a labelled close-up image of the fly and its edible parts, lists of books and websites, and a selected bibliography. 

This is a terrific book, enhanced by the pen and ink, and digital media drawings of David Clark. They are filled with crisp lines, bold colors, and fitting close-ups of the flies and predators. Kids of all ages will find much to learn here, by presenting an original way to get kids engaged in science. If you know a child who likes insects, get this book; if they like fun and facts, get this book; if they like gross content, get this book!