THE PESKY FLY

A noisy insect disrupts the lives of a young girl and her family in this debut.

An unnamed young narrator is enjoying her day when she’s approached by a loud, persistent fly. She says, “Go away, pesky fly! / Stop pestering me. / Your buzz buzz buzzing / Will drive me CRAZY!” She’s increasingly annoyed as the insect follows her around and even disturbs her breakfast. Then the fly irritates other family members: her Gran, who’s trying to read a book; the narrator’s sister, who’s brushing her hair; her brother, who’s “Glued to his phone”; and her mom and dad as they get ready for work and pack lunches. When the family dog begins to follow the fly, the agitated narrator has an idea. She opens the front door and the canine chases the fly outside. At last, the household is free of the pest. Although the book’s subject matter is simple, Durrington employs rhyme and repetitive phrasing, making it a good read-aloud. Bailey’s (Pug Is Happy, 2018, etc.) illustrations depict a white family with large, cartoonish features. They include up-close depictions of the fly and nice textural details, such as grooves in wood floors. There’s also fun subtext, such as Gran’s T-shirt, which depicts a fly inside a circular “no” symbol.

An engaging, sometimes silly, and relatable story.