One Day a Mayfly

A mayfly newly born in the city gives meaning to “seize the day” in this lyrical, stunningly illustrated story at once poignant and uplifting.

One early spring day, Mayfly emerges from a lake in the middle of the city, looks around, lifts her wings nervously, and takes flight. Nobody notices, except for a little girl in a yellow raincoat, following close behind. Mayfly has been given just one day—her birthday!—but she intends to live life to the fullest, with the wind beneath her wings. Michael Speechley’s striking illustrations follow the mayfly’s flight from close-up views to bird’s-eye panoramas, contrasting the natural world of the lake and the bustling city around it. As Mayfly completes her life cycle and people live theirs in parallel, oblivious to the tiny creature nearby, she embraces the uncertainty and joy of life—and the surprises that lie around any corner. Beautifully designed in “calendar” format, with a simple, poetic text and warm visual humor and clues, here is a book with appeal for fans of Duck, Death, and the Tulip—a bittersweet ode to the wonder and possibility of life.