SHOO, FLY GUY!

Buzzy Fly Guy’s on his own for most of his third outing. Returning from a foray past garbage, a horse and other intriguingly scented landmarks, Fly Guy finds a note that his human buddy Buzz and family have gone off for a picnic. Away he flies in pursuit—both of Buzz, and of his favorite food, which is “brown, oozy, lumpy and smelly.” Being a fly, he is of course willing to settle for any one of those qualities, but the tempting burger, pizza slice, bones and roadkill he finds are already claimed. Poor Fly Guy, shooed away from every snack. Arnold’s cartoons are more pop-eyed than ever in this simply told, medium-gross episode, and emergent readers will enjoy following the muscid marauder to final nirvana atop a slice of—yes, shoo-fly pie: brown, oozy, lumpy and smelly. (Easy reader. 5-7)