Tiny Tales: Firefly Night

by Steph Waldo, Steph Waldo (Illustrator)

Overview

Spinning off HarperCollins’s beloved I Can Read series, I Can Read Comics is an early reader line that familiarizes children with the world of graphic novel storytelling and encourages visual literacy in emerging readers.

It’s hard to see in the dark…unless you’re Firefly! Will Firefly be able to show their friends the beautiful moonflower, or will sleep win the night?

Firefly Night also has a "Cartooning Basics" page at the front of the book and a "Nature Guide" page at the back, making it the whole package for emerging readers—and a great example of what I Can Read Comics is all about!

Tiny Tales: Firefly Night is a Level Three I Can Read Comic, meaning it’s a more complex story for independent readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063289628
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Series:	I Can Read Comics Level 3
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Steph Waldo is a storyboard artist, freelance illustrator, and comics creator. She graduated from the Communication Design program at Washington University in St. Louis and is an alum of the CalArts Character Animation Program. Steph lives in San Francisco with her husband, Will, and their dog, Zero, sharing a love for hiking, traveling, and curling up with a good book.

Steph Waldo is a storyboard artist, freelance illustrator, and comics creator. She graduated from the Communication Design program at Washington University in St. Louis and is an alum of the CalArts Character Animation Program. Steph lives in San Francisco with her husband, Will, and their dog, Zero, sharing a love for hiking, traveling, and curling up with a good book.

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2024

PreS-Gr 2—As the sun sets in the forest, Firefly's bioluminescence burns bright and so does his enthusiasm to share the wonders of nighttime life. With drooping eye stalks, Snail, Rolly, and the rest of their creepy-crawly cohort sleepily embark on a quest with Firefly to see the moonflower bloom. Ever the nocturnal hype man, Firefly eagerly tells his day-dwelling friends all about the unfamiliar—and sometimes frightening—sounds of the darkness. The group of gastropods and insects play a silly game of shadow puppets and find the croaks and chirps of the night soothing after Firefly's reassurances. So soothing, in fact, that sleep threatens to set in. Will they keep their peepers open long enough to see the moonflower bloom? Perhaps it was more about the adventure along the way. This third installment in Waldo's "Tiny Tales" early comic series will encourage emerging readers to notice the marvelous in the everyday—with a big dose of humor to boot. VERDICT A tiny tale that teaches a big lesson: often the journey has more value than the destination.—Sarah Simpson

School Library Journal

2024-04-20
An intrepid firefly tries to show its sleepy diurnal friends the beauty of the night.

A group of creatures, including a ladybug, a roly-poly, a snail, and a couple of slugs, watch the sunset. Firefly shows up and encourages the others to stay up late to see the moonflower bloom. “Bedtime can wait,” they decide as Firefly leads them through the forest. At first, they startle at the nighttime sounds of owls and frogs but soon find them soothing, like a lullaby. “I never thought of it that way before,” muses Firefly. Later, Firefly uses its flash to help turn unexpected and seemingly frightening shadows into playful shadow puppets. But will they make it to the moonflower in time? Maybe not, but what really matters is that these pals have spent time together. Even better, Firefly has learned to see nighttime in a whole new light. As in Tiny Tales: Shell Quest (2021), Waldo makes her cast of creepy-crawlies downright endearing; fans will recognize the snail and the slugs from her previous title. The colorful creatures pop effectively against the deep purples of the night. With just a few panels per page and a limited word count, this short comic will please comics newbies; those in need of some guidance will appreciate the brief explanation of how to read a comic.

An exciting, friendship-filled nighttime romp. (information on fireflies and lightning bugs) (Graphic early reader. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

Waldo makes her cast of creepy-crawlies downright endearing; fans will recognize the snail and the slugs from her previous title. The colorful creatures pop effectively against the deep purples of the night. With just a few panels per page and a limited word count, this short comic will please comics newbies. An exciting, friendship-filled nighttime romp.” — Kirkus Reviews

“This third installment in Waldo’s Tiny Tales early comic series will encourage emerging readers to notice the marvelous in the ¬everyday—with a big dose of humor to boot. A tiny tale that teaches a big lesson: often the journey has more value than the destination.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher