Scott Hoying, a singer with the Grammy-winning a cappella group Pentatonix, and his husband, model Mark Hoying, have crafted a loving little story about making the most of one’s life. Inspired by the factual life of a mayfly, which lives for only one day, the rhyming story follows one fly who takes to the sky and explores the world—but then sees others “all paired off in twos” and wonders if there’s someone special for them as well. Soaring to the top of a mountain, they finally find another fly who has flown as high. After further adventures together, the pair in turn greets a new mayfly (clearly intended to represent their child), and encourage it to fly high. “How lucky am I?” thinks the original fly, as they and their mate watch the young one soar away.
There’s no clear queer inclusion here, although the flies are never gendered in the book, making it work for a wide range of readers and relationships. (The publisher’s blurb uses “he”; I have chosen “they” in order to better represent the ambiguity in the book.)
The illustrations by Steph Lew are both lush and whimsical, giving us a fly’s-eye view of their world and perhaps a better appreciation of our own.
Sweet and lovely.
