Blackflies

by Robert Munsch, Jay Odjick (Illustrator)

Helen loves springtime ― except for the gazillions of blackflies and mosquitoes. But she has a plan . . . One day Helen wakes up and it's SPRING! The snow has melted and the sun is shining. But Helen knows that the blackflies will be coming out soon. So she does what any smart kid would she sends her little sister outdoors to check! When the blackflies and mosquitoes carry her away, Helen tells her dad, who rushes outside and is carried away himself. Now Helen needs to rescue BOTH of them, along with a wolf and a very clever bear . . .

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Indigenous, Canada, Fiction, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2017

About the author

Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Fordham University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Boston University in 1971 with a Master of Arts degree in anthropology.

He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.

Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)

Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this newer Robert Munsch piece, the young reader sees a different side of the story, at least through the illustrations. Helen is so happy that it is no longer winter. She loves the chance to be able to go outside. However, as soon as she steps into the fresh air, she hears them... gazillions of black flies and mosquitos. They are so thick that her sister is carried off and her father is close behind. Helen panics, but must find a way to solve the problem. She finds the most powerful blackly repellant that she can locate and ventures into the woods, hoping not to encounter anything else. What comes next will either send a chill up the spine or keep the young reader smiling until the very last page. Neo loves our Munsch binge, but he also likes the variety that these stories offer. He is always smiling and fully engaged as soon as I start reading. I cannot wait to add some of the Munsch classics to his reading repertoire.

[Lady Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to the children in my daycare today and they loved it, so much so they asked that I read it again.
Robert Munsch is a favourite author of this group of kids and when I showed them that I purchased new books to read since coming back from my holidays, well I couldn't read the story fast enough.

They were engaged and entertained.
They "got" the humour and the over-exaggeration of the 16 gazillion blackflies and mosquitoes that came and picked up Helen's sister and father and brought them to the forest when they adventured outside for the first time since the snowmelt.

I'm a huge fan of Robert Munsch and I was thrilled to discover that Jay Odjick (who is an artist and writer from the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Algonquin community) was the illustrator of this book.

Wonderfully written and illustrated.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorbs.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read aloud book. Repeated sentences are a great help for emerging readers, and this book is literally laugh out loud funny.

(Ok at least laugh out loud funny for the 6 year old)

[Scout Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is mediocre at best, very repetitive (in a cookie cutter, template kind of way). I think Michael Martchenko is the best illustrator, he does a great job with Robert Munsch stories.

This story didn't seem to have much of a point and I don't like it tbh

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not the best Munsch story in the world, but it gets the job done, and as far as late Munsch stories go, that's great! I read this a few times in my library's storytent for a local farmer's market and I was able to keep the kids engaged! Blackflies would work well for camping stories, summer camp reading, outdoor storytimes--anywhere where bugs and animals are present/nearby.

I generally prefer the classic Martchenko's illustrations, sure, but I like that Munsch collaborated with an Indigenous illustrator on this one. Just for extra context, I wanted to quote the illustrator Jay Odjick's comments from RobertMunsch.com:

"Blackflies is set in a First Nations community and has an all-Indigenous cast. That may not seem like a big deal to some – but for myself, as a kid, I can tell you that it would have absolutely blown my mind to see a kids’ book with kids who talked like me and looked like me. Drawn by someone like me. It would have made a huge difference just to see myself represented this way. It’s still incredible to see a book with indigenous kids in every bookstore in the country.

I could talk here about how much fun it was to draw this book – and it was a ton of fun. Especially the scenes where Helen and her dad are reacting to the stinky bug spray! I could talk about how cook it is and what an honour it is to work with Robert Munsch: a true legend in this field and better yet, a truly great person. Really, I’d just like to say Kichi Migwech to you for reading because in so doing, you’re helping to create a day where it is not rare to see books with indigenous kids on every shelf. And that’s pretty awesome!"

[paige turner ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackflies is a story about the one thing people hate when the cold weather leaves. Bugs. Not just any bugs though, mosquitos and blackflies!

The black flies in this story though, they're insane! You can hear them coming a mile away, and they'll grab you as soon as you go to investigate what that strange noise is! Well, that's what happened to Helen's sister and her father.

Sounds like it could be made into a really bad horror movie.

Helen is the hero of the story though as are most of the main characters in Robert Munsch stories, she finds the biggest, smelliest, most disgusting bug spray she can find, and she goes on to find her father and her sister.

I think the illustrations are beautiful, much different than the illustrations I remember as a kid, but it's fresh and it's new. I think they really add to the story to make it come alive!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far north, there were so many blackflies in the spring that they carried away Helen's father and her younger sister Megan. Helen had to quickly figure out a way to get them back! Cute story with great illustrations.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good to know that all of Canada feels this apprehensive about bugs.

[Luciana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Robert Munsch story I haven't read about blackflies & mosquitoes. It would be a great read for kids living where these pesky bugs are so prominent.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely new Munsch book. Glad we got it. New illustrator, very cute.

[Susan Marrier · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the illustrations by Jay Odjick were delightful, I didn't think the story was up to Munsch's other books.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. And visibly native!

[Jeanine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one more but I don't think it's the same quality that I expect from a Robert Munsch story.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cool

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s giving subtle racism.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Munsch's best book, but it was still true to form and held all the whimsy and splendour of all his children books written previously.

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

I related to how big and mean and annoying the big black flies are in the NWT and northern parts of Alberta. But the plot itself didn’t really grab me.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really cool illustrations here, but not my favourite Munsch. Mini-Me liked it though.

[Meghan Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional Munsch antics. Not quite as good as Paperbag Princess, but well worth it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one on Robert Munsch's website.