Description
Explanation of a Firefly follows a rich tradition of English children’s verses, which means that it is intended for all ages. The poems are warm, whimsical and elegant — full of subtle humor, questions, word play and unexpected twists.
The book is designed and playfully illustrated with original watercolors by Anya Klepikov.

Marina Eskina is the author of two books of poetry in Russian. Her original work and translations are published in American, Russian and Israeli periodicals and anthologies. Her poetry has been translated into English. She has been living in Boston since 1990.
Anya Klepikov is a New York based set and costume designer for theatre, opera and dance. She is the recipient of the Connecticut Critics Circle Award and her work has been featured in LIVE DESIGN and AMERICAN THEATRE magazines. Born in the Crimea, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, Anya immigrated to Boston, Massachusetts at the age of eleven. She holds a BA in the Humanities from the University of Chicago and an MFA in Theatre Design from the Yale School of Drama.
Yuliya Shulman
Marina Eskina’s Explanation of a Firefly and Other Poems opens the universe to readers as seen through a child’s eyes, filled with color, light, wonder and, most of all, a thirst to know the why and the how of life’s simplest pleasures. Her playful poetry captures the challenge in finding just the right name for a doll, and the bottomless mirror world of puddles. She conjures up a humorous realm of rebellious teddy bears and proudly corpulent elephants where chasing rabbits is good for your health.
Anya Klepikov’s masterful illustrations fill Explanation of a Firefly with movement, sound and excitement. They will transport you to a land where every night is lit by the flickering flares of fireflies, and every day—by the many colors of the Sun.
— Anna Rozenshtein
Columbia University, New York