The Flea

PreS-Gr 1—A tiny flea wants to be bigger, so he climbs on top of progressively taller items, from a pea to an apple to a house, until he reaches a cloud high up in the sky. He is feeling quite big until a bear comes along and points out that he is high up but not actually larger. Bear's statement so enrages the flea that he enacts revenge the way fleas do best. Most of the story is simple yet entertaining, but the ending is somewhat abrupt. While this title is meant to be a lesson on perspective, children might be left wondering if the true lesson is about getting revenge on those who make you mad. Stylized black-and-white illustrations are enhanced by a punch of bold color on each page, making this title visually attractive. Those wanting a lesson on size perspective would do better to use Jonathan Emmett's Someone Bigger (Clarion, 2004). An additional purchase for most libraries.—Joy Poynor, Rogers Public Library, AR