Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Publishers Weekly Review

Is it possible to be too independent? This question is
put to the test in a tale that explores how
self-sufficiency isn't all it's cracked up to be. The
story opens with the title character encased within a
well-lit fortress (a brick wall surrounds his home,
containing the light from a fallen star) with no
company except for some bug-like pests. Metz's use of
playful words speaks to preschoolers' penchants for
concocting their own secret language. In his garden,
Bloom exclaims, "Those bothersome wigglyfluffs are
nibbling on my prize cherriflox." When a small
creature named Zrill invades his privacy, Floridius
finds himself on the other side of the
fence-literally-accompanying his newfound friend
through the very world he has shut out. Phelan's
whimsical illustrations of colorful creatures with
floppy ears and kind eyes depict a magical land that
is anything but scary. This playfulness is tempered by
the compassion of Zrill's mother who tenderly cares
for the injured Floridius' broken toe. As the light of
truth finally shines upon Floridius, readers too learn
that this type of love and companionship is exactly
what he desperately needs. This tale proves that
letting the light in is a universal necessity, no
matter where you live. Ages 4-up.