Buzz Off!

Randa Abdel-Fattah (author)

Dan McGuiness (illustrator)

Omnibus, Scholastic, Australia: May 2011; 55pp

ISBN: 9781862918481

Genre: humour

Issues: environment

Noor can't sleep thanks to the incredibly annoying summer flies that are occupying is room. One night he believes he can actually hear them talking. Is Noor hallucinating or have the flies unwittingly given him the secret that will banish them forever?

Willing to try anything, Noor creates an unlikely concoction because surely the world would be so much better without flies? Don't be so sure! Every living thing has a reason for being, a place in the ecosystem, as Noor finds out to his cost.

Randa Abdel-Fattah (Does My Head Look Big In This) has a gift for writing humorous narratives with more serious subtexts. In this deliciously light-hearted title in Scholastic's 'Mates' series, she shows the reader that even the ubiquitously annoying Aussie fly has a role to play – even if it drives us nuts in the process. Dan McGuiness' cartoon-style illustrations capture the elbow-in-the-ribs style of humour.

The 'Mates' series are great for reluctant or beginning readers who need a bit of encouragement to make the move from picture books. Short narratives packed with very Australian themes and humour, they are also useful for developing reading skills and cultural understanding with ESL learners.