Product Description

Butterfly bursts out of her chrysalis and immediately wants to get closer to the blue sky above but she has no idea how to launch herself. After repeated tumbles she appeals to flight experts all over the world for help. Her search goes to Italy, France, China, Scotland and Brazil. Each time, she tries out a new suggestion and each time, she lands back on earth (sometimes with a painful bump). When, eventually, she appeals to her mother for help, Butterfly takes off without even realizing it, and so her quest for flight is at an end -- “How happy am I, at last I can fly!”


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1268867 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-25
• Released on: 2002-06-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-A young butterfly, just out of her chrysalis, tries to fly. Unable to do so on her own, she seeks help from experts around the world. In Italy, Leonardo builds her mechanical wings. Mr. Papillon in Paris helps her take off from the Eiffel Tower. Wing flies her like a kite in China. Magical Mac enables her to fly over Scotland. And Marina shoots her from a cannon in Rio. All these attempts are dismal failures, however, until the butterfly ends up at home and discovers she can fly on her own after all. The cut-paper collage illustrations are interesting. Butterfly's torso is fashioned from printed letters that occasionally make words. Her wings are formed from patterned paper, most often containing letters and numbers. Close observers will note words like "afraid," "fly," and "par avion." The plane that Butterfly uses to travel from place to place, and her wings as well, changes ornamentation to reflect the different countries: colors of the French flag, Chinese characters, Scottish plaids. The attire of her helpers, and often the backgrounds on which they appear, also suggests their countries of origin. Although these illustrations provide a good deal to look at, the story comes to a rather abrupt halt, and the proverbs at the end may do more to confuse than enlighten young readers.
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
“A simple tale of growing independence and confidence.” -- Junior Magazine

“It is the pictures that make this book so special. As soon as you look at them you want to start cutting things up and creating your own collages, not to mention mobiles.” -- The Times


From the Trade Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover
“A simple tale of growing independence and confidence.” -- Junior Magazine

“It is the pictures that make this book so special. As soon as you look at them you want to start cutting things up and creating your own collages, not to mention mobiles.” -- The Times


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful!
The collaged images in the book caught my eye while browsing in the library. I began to read a little of the book to my 2.5 year old. She seemed interested so we took it home. During our usual evening ritual of having books read, she requested this as it was new. She adored it, particularly the ending. The next night, she wanted it read again and became all excited towards the end of the book when Butterfly finds her mother and learns how to fly.

Beautiful!
The collaged images in the book caught my eye while browsing in the library. I began to read a little of the book to my 2.5 year old. She seemed interested so we took it home. During our usual evening ritual of having books read, she requested this as it was new. She adored it, particularly the ending. The next night, she wanted it read again and became all excited towards the end of the book when Butterfly finds her mother and learns how to fly.