Written and Illustrated by Marc Majewski
Butterfly Child is a beautifully illustrated, short picture book about a child that likes to dress up and pretend to be a butterfly. The main character is fully immersed in this imaginary world when he runs across a group of children who proceed to bully him. (There is one girl in the group who looks disturbed by the other children’s actions.) As a result the boy returns home upset and there is comforted by his father. The pair decide to “start over” and repair the torn butterfly costume. Again the boy spreads his wings and goes out to play where he finds the same group of children. This time he has more confidence and ignores the bullies. The girl who was previously disturbed leaves the group and befriends the butterfly child. I liked this book because of the limited text, (emerging readers can read it themselves). The illustrations lend to having a dialogue with students regarding how all the characters feel as the story progresses. It encourages empathy and concern while displaying joy through authentic play from the main character. I recommend it as an addition to your collection!
Reviewed by Sarah E De Lacy, Librarian, Rolling Meadows Elementary
Review shared in February 2024
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-4
Butterfly Child
Written and Illustrated by Marc Majewski
Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
48 pages
Release Date: November 1, 2022
ISBN: 9780063021556
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
