Humans have stores, clothing, food and other necessities readily available to them. Animals, on the other hand, must be more creative in finding what they need to survive. How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? explores the unique ways that animals take care of themselves. The book introduces its theme well by saying, "See if you can figure out how the animals in these pages will snare a fish, hatch an egg, use a leaf, catch a fly, dig a hole, or eat a clam."
The book's collage illustrations are as lively as the subject matter. The animals come to life with textured paper and complimentary lines of text. There are brief descriptions of the animals both in the body of the story and an appendix. Jenkins and Page researched their material well, and a bibliography of sources can be found on the last page. Rare animals that the reader may not typically come across in other children's stories provide interesting subject matter for animal lovers and newcomers alike. How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? would be an effective introduction to children about the needs of living things.
