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Children's Fiction General

Dear Flyary

by (author) Dianne Young

illustrated by John Martz

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Mar 2012
Category
General, Humorous Stories
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781554534487
    Publish Date
    Mar 2012
    List Price
    $18.95

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Where to buy it

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 4 to 8
  • Grade: p to 3

Description

One-eyed alien Frazzle recounts his flying adventures in a new journal (in alien vernacular, of course). He bighearts his little Model 7, but as time passes, it starts making strange sounds, and Frazzle --- pressured by friends and co-workers --- wonders if he should trade it in. One day, when it goes CLUNK in the middle of the flyway, it's clear something must be done. Youngsters will love the out-of-this-world illustrations depicting worlds rife with all manner of alien life. Even more irresistible: an unexpected ending sure to delight careful readers.

About the authors

Dianne Young won the 1992 Saskatchewan Writers Guild Literary Award for Children's Literature. Her previous titles include A World of Difference and Purple Hair? I Don't Care! Dianne lives in Martensville, Saskatchewan.

Dianne Young's profile page

 

John Martz est un bédéiste et un illustrateur. Publié en 2016, son roman illustré A Cat Named Tim et Other Stories a été en lice pour l’obtention du Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général et mis en nomination pour le Prix Eisner dans la catégorie de la meilleure publication pour les lecteurs débutants. Il habite lui aussi à Toronto, en Ontario.

 

John Martz is a cartoonist and illustrator in Toronto, Ontario. His 2016 graphic novel for children, A Cat Named Tim and Other Stories, was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and was nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers.

 

John Martz's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Saskatchewan Book Award for Children's Literature
  • Short-listed, Reuben Award for Book Illustration, National Comics Society
  • Commended, Best Bets, Picture Books, Ontario Library Assoiciation

Editorial Reviews

There is much fun to be had sounding out words and guessing at their meaning and roots, as planet Harbat's jabberwocky attests.

Kirkus Reviews

Librarian Reviews

Dear Flyary

For his “dropday,” space creature Frazzle receives a flyary (aka diary) “to scrib down everything about” his first spaceship, a “flixsome” Model 7 that he just “bighearts.” Over time, the ship makes a series of strange noises. And each time, Wurpitz, a mechanic, reassures him that the noises are only minor problems, not even worth fixing; in fact, she says Frazzle will get used to the noises, which he does. When the Model 7 makes one large CLUNK! and stops in the middle of the flyway, Wurpitz now has to build a new engine. But Frazzle thinks the sound from this engine is “non-giddious” and asks her to fix it. Why is she smiling at Frazzle’s request?

Rich in the use of language, Dear Flyary is embedded with words, expressions and references that wonderfully capture the details of Frazzle’s world in a way that does not blustrate the reader. This is a charming “bigheart” story, full of humour that people of all ages will find pretty laffy. The strength of Frazzle’s voice and the depth of his character are intimately revealed in Frazzle’s regular scribbings. There are also many opportunities for children to discuss points of comparison between Frazzle’s world and their own. Martz’s illustrations, rendered in Photoshop, are fun and engaging, viewtifully complementing the warmth and humour of the story.

This book will leave readers feeling gladdy and “grinning from ear to ear to ear to ear.”

Source: The Canadian Children's Bookcentre. Summer 2012. Volume 35 No. 3.

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