Lewis Trondheim’s The Fly

Gr 3-6–A newly hatched housefly experiences the world for the very first time. The young insect—depicted as a black sphere with a toothy smile and stick-like limbs, wearing shoes—spreads their wings and ventures into the wide kitchen. After exploring the laundry machine (and getting dizzy watching it spin) and the odorous litter box, the fly meets another adventurous bug and the pair set out. The fly’s journey is absolutely charming, so much so that it’s easy to overlook the gross-out factor. Through brief vignettes, Trondheim captures our hero’s varied expressions, from joy to terror. As the fly tries to flee a devilish spider and a curious cat, things take a peculiar turn, growing larger-than-life in this delightful farce. The author presents a highly detailed point of view, which makes this wordless graphic novel fully engaging, and the black-and-white palette is an ideal match for the setting.