Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/01/2016 Lightning bugs are captivating, yet there is more to these fascinating beetles than an entertaining light show. Frost’s gentle, free-verse poem opens with a firefly sitting atop a flower on a warm summer’s night. While searching for lights that will identify her future mate, she realizes she is not alone but surrounded by a multitude of glowing fireflies, “Eleven. / Twenty. / Hundreds. Thousands. / Countless bright / flashes.” Yet looking across the meadow, she spies a pattern, “Light. Dark. / Light. Dark.” She responds with the same pattern, until he flies to her. “At last / they meet. / Night is black / and bright / and warm. / It holds / and carries / their clear / silent song.” The straightforward, pleasant lines, coupled with Lieder’s stunning, close-up, twilight photography, make an engaging and beautiful introduction to the world of fireflies. Although intended for a younger audience, the factual information at the close of the duo’s impressive presentation encourages broader reader appeal. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.