Anyone who lives somewhere in Ohio or New Jersey knows what it’s like in June. It gets dark, the lights in the yard suddenly start flashing, and the children with their bankbooks run around the grass until they’re chased home. For a child like that, a firefly is no miracle; you can catch a dozen of them in an evening. Alena from Columbus read this story with seven-year-old Lea, and Dragunsky initially seemed rather puzzled by it. Should they give away the dump truck? Their dad? For a single fly in a matchbox?
Leva said it so directly that he wouldn't give it up even if he wanted to. And until they opened the book again, it was hard to argue with him.
At first, no one received the dump truck.
It’s interesting that Deniska (in this story, by the way, he’s never even named by name; he’s just «I»), isn’t at all such a simpleton. Misha lingers over him for a long time. He asks how the dump truck works, asks to be given a home. Deniska doesn’t give it to him. Misha offers «one Guatemala and two Barbados,» and then Aleńa had to pause and explain what that even means. There’s no «mark» in the text; you have to figure it out for yourself. Then Misha promises a swimming circle, which, as Deniska notes, has burst. Again, no.
My dad gave him a pickup truck before he left. Things like that don't change overnight.
Before Misha came, Deniska sat alone in the sand; it was already getting dark in the yard; the other kids had long since gone home with their parents. His mom isn’t there. He’s going through it all by himself; where she might be—at the institute, in the store, at the bus stop—and he honestly admits that he doesn’t know. At that point, Leva fell silent. It’s probably a familiar feeling.
One star in the box
And then Misha extends the box. Deniska at first doesn’t see anything in it at all. Then he distinguishes a tiny, light-green flame, as if a very distant little star is burning. And from then on he no longer argues or bargains. He himself tells Misha to take the dump truck. All at once. And when Misha leaves, he sits and looks at the flame and can’t get a clear look at it at all.
They read this place over twice, and both times it sounded different. First as an exchange, then as something completely different, because there’s no more bargaining there.
At home, Mom, understandably, asks about the dump truck, and is no less surprised than Leva. Then she turns off the light. And they sit alone in the dark room, looking at the green dot, and Mom says that this is magic. And when she finally asks how such a thing could be given away, Deniska explains in two steps. First about how long he waited and how bored he was. Then about how the glowworm is alive and glowing.
Alena, according to her, successfully got through the first half of this; and Leva found her himself and was very happy, as if he had caught Dragunsky in a lie.
The dispute never ended with one side winning. Leva still believes that he would not have handed over the dump truck. Now he can explain why Deniska gave it up, and show it with his finger in the book, which, to be honest, is much more interesting than agreeing.
But they started paying closer attention to the Ojai fireflies in their yard after that. They still need the lights, but sometimes they just want to turn them off.
If you want the previous step, there’s an analysis of the «Fantazeros»; the dispute there was about who told the lie and who got hurt by it. Here no one is lying. It’s just a strange exchange; until you see what night it happened.
Two details from the story
All three tasks require the story itself: «He is alive and glowing.» You can answer orally. The adult reads the story to the preschooler and helps them find the correct place; the older child looks for it themselves. One task is enough for one go.
Two details from the story
The child looks for two details in the text that he can explain himself why Deniska gave the dump truck to the fairy light. Any two will do, provided they are taken from the story: an empty dark yard, a long wait for his mother, a light green flame, a star, and the words about «living.».
When he agreed
The adult asks what Misha offered Denys before the flash of light and what Denys replied to it. Then he asks at what point Denys himself offered to hand over the bulldozer.
Two answers for mom
The child finds the final conversation with his mother and the two places where Deniska explains his choice. First he talks about the expectation, then he answers what the firefly is better for.
What to read to a child in Russian
Free PDF list of recommended literature in Russian for children and teenagers 4–14+, living abroad. Leave your contact details — the file will open immediately after submitting the form.
In literary reading classes at Palme School, children read stories, discuss the actions of the characters, and learn to explain in Russian why a character acted the way they did, even if they themselves would have acted differently.
You can start with two free lessons: Introductory class with a methodologist and a trial lesson in a group with a teacher.
Frequently asked questions about the story «He is alive and glowing»
What does Draganovsky's story «He is alive and glowing» tell us?
In the evening, the boy waits in the yard for his mom, who is running late. His friend Misha asks him for a dump truck, a gift from his dad, and offers various things in exchange. The boy refuses until Misha shows him a glow stick in a cigarette box. For the glow stick, he gives up the dump truck altogether.
Why did Deniska give away the dump truck for a flashlight?
He explains this to his mother himself. He was bored and waiting for a long time, but the glowworm is alive and glowing. The reader can add that the exchange took place on a dark evening when the other children had already gone home.
What did Misha offer before the flash?
First, «one Guatemala and two Barbados.» From the context, it is probably about stamps, but the word «stamp» is not mentioned in this scene. Then there is a swimming circle that, according to Denyski, burst. Both times the boy refuses.
What did my mom say when she found out about the exchange?
Mom asks about the dump truck and is surprised by the exchange. Then she turns off the light, looks at the glow with her son, and calls what they see magic.
Why is the hero's name Denysky in the article, if there is no name in the story?
The story is told in the first person, and the protagonist is never named by name. It is part of the «Denisykin Stories» series, so readers usually refer to the narrator as Denisykh.
Is it possible for a child not to agree with Denyska's choice?
It is possible. The goal of the conversation is to explain another person’s choice based on the text, not necessarily to agree with it. The child can say that he would not have given the dump truck to himself, and still show in the book why Deniska gave it to him.
From what age can I read «He is alive and shining»?
The story is short; it is often read aloud to preschoolers and younger schoolchildren. The adult finds the right place in the book for the preschooler, and the child who is already reading can look for the details themselves.
