Astrid the Fly

Maria Jönsson’s Astrid the Fly is a quirky, zany, offbeat escapade about a fly’s brush with death. Translated from Swedish to English, Jönsson’s book is part of a global trend; more and more children books are coming from around the world.

Astrid introduces herself, her big eyes, her “daredevil nosedives”, and gives children a tour of her domicile; she counts her seven cousins, three second cousins, 43 brothers and sisters, and tells the tale of her relatives’ unfortunate, mysterious demise, exuding a sense of family. A sofa, explores the kitchen in a search of Nordic treats painted simply with water colors, penciling, or stenciling.

With her exquisite culinary tastes, Astrid’s frazzled hair betrays no classless young fly-woman; she flaunts her love of Danish salami as a decadent indulgence. Troublesome and no less than unhealthy, her penchant for evening interludes into the culinary arts of Scandinavian swine envelops her in calamity. One evening, Astrid flies off into the fridge for a bite, but little does she know how cold modern appliances can be for six-legged creatures. Her carnivorous binge endangers her life. Read the story to figure out whether she flies or dies, continues to gnaw the bone, or breaks for vegetarianism.