Turtle Tears by Megan Albany illustrated by Paul Seden

"The turtles there cry like we do ... Except when they cry butterflies flutter around 
and drink their tears."
"Turtles live a long time ... because they share their tears."

Grief is a complex emotion and we often struggle to know how to respond. In this book Nan is deeply grieving the loss Pop. She cries a lot and her little granddaughter Ruby is not sure how to help. Then Nan talks about a holiday she went on years ago where she heard that when turtles cry, butterflies drink their tears - such a lovely image to ponder.

I love the way this book openly explores grief and tears and the way Nan is still allowed to cry - the grief has not gone away it has just eased a little. 

Gently ignoring stereotypes, the story ends on a beautifully hopeful note. It also reminds the reader that, even if you or someone you love is very sad, that doesn't mean you can't also have moments of joy and chase butterflies. Reading Melbourne

Blurb from Magabala Books: This heart-warming picture book gently reassures children that it is both natural and healthy for adults and children to cry when they are sad. Narrated from the voice of a child, Ruby, it centres on her no-nonsense Nan who is grieving for her late husband. She tells the child about the turtles she and Pop saw, while on holiday in South America. They cry tears as humans do, and butterflies drink their tears (factual). 

Thanks to Magabala for sending a review copy of Turtle Tears.

I found this information about butterflies and turtles:  Butterflies in the Amazon engage in a behavior known as lachryphagy, where they sip tears from turtles to obtain vital sodium and minerals necessary for their survival. This unique interaction sees butterflies flocking to freshwater turtles, taking turns to land on their heads and drink their tears. The sodium in turtle tears is crucial ... As butterflies drink the tears, they quickly absorb the salt and dispose of the leftover liquid through their rear end. This process allows butterflies to acquire a crucial nutrient that is otherwise difficult to find in their usual diet of plants and other sources. The butterflies’ need for sodium drives them to seek out the tears of turtles, forming a symbiotic relationship where both the turtles and butterflies benefit. While the turtles produce plenty of tears, the butterflies only consume a small quantity, making this interaction sustainable for both parties. Besides butterflies, other insects such as bees and moths also partake in tear-drinking behavior. This fascinating natural occurrence highlights the interconnectedness of different species in their pursuit of survival ...  Butterflies rely on the turtles to provide enough sodium through their tears, ensuring their continued survival, while turtles remain largely unaffected by the butterflies’ feeding habits.  

Read more here. Here is a video of lachryphagy in action (2 minute video suitable for older primary students or background information for teachers).

This phenomena of butterflies drinking tears is probably mentioned in some non fiction books about butterflies - I need to dig deeper in a library to check.

Paul Seden is an author and illustrator of picture books for young readers and he is descended from the Wuthathi and Muralag people of North Queensland. Kick with My Left Foot was a Notable Book in the 2015 CBCA Book of the Year Awards and short-listed for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards – Indigenous Children category. Crabbing with Dad was short-listed in the 2019 KOALA Children’s Choices Award and also for the ABIA Children’s Book of the Year in 2017. Paul loves illustrated text and lives in the Top End of the Northern Territory.

The Shop Train

Megan Albany is a proud Kalkadoon woman. Megan lives in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Her debut black comedy novel, The Very Last List of Vivan Walker (Hachette 2022), was one of four works shortlisted for The Banjo Prize.

Summer Birds by Margarita Engle illustrated by Julie Paschkis

It is International Women's Day - time to celebrate women in Science. I often think about this book Summer Birds and then I searched my blog the other day and realised I hadn't actually talked about it here. Unfortunately, Summer Birds was published in 2010 so you may have to hunt out a copy in a library.

Reading this book several years ago was a revelation. People used to think butterflies came out of the mud in the summer - like magic. Maria Merian, from a very young age, was a curious girl. She collected butterflies and caterpillars but she had to do this in secret because in the 1650s she could have been accused of witchcraft.

Maria observed that caterpillars come from eggs. These are eggs laid by summer birds (butterflies). Caterpillars eat leaves and grow bigger and bigger. Eventually the caterpillars spin cocoons. Then comes the complex part. Inside the cocoon, while they rest, the caterpillars turn into butterflies and then they come out of their cocoon ready to fly and sip nectar. Maria also noticed a change like this with frogs and tadpoles. 

"When people understand the life cycles of creatures that change forms, they will stop calling small animals evil. They will learn, as I have, by seeing a wingless caterpillar turn into a flying summer bird."

About Maria Merian (1647 - 1717) born in Frankfurt, Germany died in Amsterdam:

"At the age of thirteen, Maria was well on her way to disproving the ancient theory (that butterflies came from mud). By careful observation she discovered that metamorphosis is natural, not supernatural. There was no witchcraft involved. Beginning with silkworms brought from Asia by a merchant, she watched the slow process of change, recording every detail in her notes and sketches ... Today as a result of Maria Sibylla Merian's careful studies, we know that butterflies, moths, and frogs do not spring from mud."

See more images of her work here

In 1705 she published Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium (“The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname”). Arguably the most important work of her career, it included some 60 engravings illustrating the different stages of development that she had observed in Suriname’s insects. Similar to her caterpillar book, Metamorphosis depicted the insects on and around their host plants and included text describing each stage of development. The book was one of the first illustrated accounts of the natural history of Suriname. Britannica

Read more and see her art here:

Botanical art and artists

British Museum

Natural History Museum

Royal Society video (4 minutes)

The Conversation (Background reading for teachers)

Here is another book about Maria Merian written for children:

Perhaps you have some books from the Little People Big Dreams series in your library. I would love to see a book in this series about Maria Merian. Here are some other women scientists to explore:

Using Summer Birds as a jumping off point I highly recommend the verse novels written by Margarita Engle. AND every library should have one or two books illustrated by Julie Paschkis - her art is incredibly special.

Singing with Elephants

Books illustrated by Julie Paschkis

You Rule! by Rilla Alexander

The subtitle of this book is "A book of possibilities" and that is so true.

How ready are you? 

not at all; thinking about it; just another minute; preparing; ready and willing; on my way; almost there; enthusiastic; can't wait; fired up; rarin' to go

Take a look at these answers - now think about them as a sequence. Can you see how they move from not ready to go go go! To show this progression the author/illustrator uses font size and saturation of the font black from pale to bold. And above the words, the child from the cover with his huge ruler, is climbing up a set of stairs ready to open the door. His small caterpillar companion has his pencil. Meanwhile the dog is not ready because he is digging a hole and heading the other way. 

Turn the page - How big are you?

On this one the sequence is in reverse order from soaring and sky-high down to teeny tiny, sprouting and microscopic. 

The caterpillar stands on the nose of the dog and the boy uses his pencil to mark the height chart.

Turn the page - How strong are you?

This page has fabulous words such as tenacious, robust, indestructible, solid, unsteady, flexible and mighty.

The boy and his dog are playing tug-of-war, and the caterpillar is helping his friend. 

And so we continue - How fast are you? How happy are you? How kind are you? How brave are you? How much do you know? How much do you have? How much can you do? How long will it take? How far can you go? How much do I love you?

Meanwhile the caterpillar is changing until the butterfly arrives on the final pages but wait there is another character. Where did that tiger come from?

Do you love the cover? I do! Turn inside and yes, the end papers are brilliant - at the front is a caterpillar munching a leaf and at the back a tiny butterfly flies off the corner of the page. The full-color illustrations were rendered in rubber stamps and digital collage. And under the dust jacket there is a surprise. It would so be good to add this book to your school library. My friend paid AUS$37 for this book but I have seen it listed for AUS$27 too. Here in Australia, I also found a bargain copy for AUS$15 but you might need to act fast! If I had this book in my classroom, I would display each double page for a week and use it as a discussion starter. There are enough pages to do this for a whole term. And think about all the rich words your group will encounter - diminutive, unsteady, hustling, supersonic, exhilarated, ecstatic, considerate, obliging, heroic, defiant, vulnerable, gutsy, an abundance, and immeasurably.

Bookseller blurb: This is a wonderfully affirmative and aspirational book of possibilities and exploration, a fantastic linguistic calibration/celebration of bravery, kindness, love, and so much more. Within this bright and colorful picture book and energetic glossary of words, Rilla Alexander brilliantly succeeds in measuring the immeasurables of life.

The publisher page says:

• BUILDS EMOTIONAL LANGUAGE: This book provides the linguistic tools to describe and measure the widest possible emotions and qualities with a rich palette of words saturated in wit, whimsy, and empathy.
• THE PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUNG AND OLD: Whether you are shopping for a baby gift, a graduation gift, or browsing the library shelves for a book to soothe a child getting ready to start school, this book is for you!
• A GENTLE MESSAGE OF INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION: Follow along as a boy and his dog tenderly care for a lost caterpillar until its transformation and release as a glorious butterfly.
• GORGEOUS, BOLD ILLUSTRATIONS: The author's bright, kid-friendly artwork makes an instant impression-a feast for the mind and the eyes!

Often, responses cavort playfully on pages so readers have to turn the book—or their heads!—to read text, as is the case with the question “How strong are you?” for which answers appear on a rope with which the child plays tug of war with a dog. ...  This unique, clever offering will enhance visual literacy and help readers develop vocabulary. How do you measure a terrific, winning book? By the learning and smiles it will surely generate. Kirkus

Based on the author’s nephew who she features in the book, children will realize that not everything in life can be measured or tracked. Kids like to use rulers to measure things. They like to see how far they can jump, how tall they are, or how far they can throw. But, you can’t really measure how kind you are or how much you are loved. Children's Book Review Sincerely Stacey

Rilla Alexander is an Australian designer, illustrator, and artist whose work has appeared on everything from toys and teacups to buses and buildings. She explores creativity, ideas, and language through simple characters, graphic forms, and bold colors, inspiring both children and adults through books and workshops. Her picture books include The Best Book in the World, You Rule!, Her Idea, The New Rooster, and The Thingamajig. She lives in Los Angeles, USA. You can hear her talking here. (17 minutes talking about how creativity works).

I am very keen to see her other books and I will add her board books to my wish list.

Butterfly Park by Elly Mackay

Moving to her new house in an area that seems drab and grey a little girl notices a sign - Butterfly Park - but sadly there are no butterflies. I love that she takes a gift when she makes her first visit - "for it was always smart to make a good first impression."

There are butterflies in the town but when a young boy helps her catch one and then release it in the Butterfly Park it just flutters away. What is missing? Have you guessed? YES butterflies need flowers for their nectar. But how can this one girl bring flowers to the park - the answer is she cannot do this alone - this is the time for community action. The results are wonderful and Elly Mackay celebrates the renewal of the park with a double spread fold out page showing all the flowers, butterflies and happy children.  Make sure you look at the perfect end papers too. And if you can find this book I have read that under the dust jacket there is a surprise. You can see inside this book here. 

I live in Australia and yes, I do talk about our books, but I also love to share books from around the world. I was thrilled to discover this book, which comes from Canada. It was published in 2015 but it is still available and for a good price. I suggest adding this book to your shopping list today - I'm not sure it will be available much longer?

Book seller blurb: When a little girl moves to a new town, she finds a place called Butterfly Park. But when she opens the gate, there are no butterflies. Determined to lure the butterflies in, the girl inspires her entire town to help her. And with their combined efforts, soon the butterflies, and the girl, feel right at home. Elly MacKay's luminous paper-cut illustrations and enchanting story encourage community, friendship, and wonderment in the beauty of everyday life. 

The feel-good messages of enjoying nature, rehabilitating under-used green space, and community-building are presented organically in the story, which moves at a pleasantly even pace. But the real treat here is the art. MacKay in in top form, and readers will delight in the mix of colours, textures, and perspectives she employs in creating the visual elements of this lovely book. Quill and Quire

Elly MacKay is an award winning picture book maker living in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada with her family. She is the author and illustrator of several books such as Butterfly Park, Red Sky at Night and If You Hold a Seed. She attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design as well as The University of Canterbury with a focus on printmaking and illustration. She also has a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University. Elly taught both in schools and as an educator at galleries before pursuing a career in picture books. You can follow her work on Instagram.

I would pair Butterfly Park with this one:

Butterflies belong here

In an interview with NPR Elly Mackay to talk about her illustrations in The Enchanted Symphony (by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton) explained her art process: She starts by building miniature sets, complete with the scenery and characters. Then she lights and photographs them, giving the images a more three-dimensional quality. You can read more about this here. 

This illustrated style reminded me of Soyeon Kim and her use of dioramas. I also thought of The Secret Sky Garden which is one of my favourite books. 

Here are other books illustrated by Elly Mackay:

Everywhere Blue by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz

Yesterday I listed all the books (well nearly all) the books on my January to read pile. I know yesterday and today are officially really December but I have already begun and have finished two of the books! Yes I did say two.

Everywhere Blue is a new discovery and it is a verse novel and yes you do already know this but, I need to say it again - I love verse novels. They are fast, the are emotional, they are often very insightful and they are always so satisfying. If you are ever in a reading slump I highly recommend finding a verse novel (it's okay there are some written for adults too). 

Madrigal, you could be a metronome. You're so precise. ...

Mr Rimondi is the only one who uses

my real name.

Everyone else calls me Maddie,

except Aria calls me Mad

and Strum calls me M.

They both hate the musical

names our parents gave us.

But I like them.

They define us as a family

even if sometimes

there is dissonance.

There are some things we can take away from this text quote. Maddie lives with her musical parents and older brother and older sister. Maddie takes music lessons - she plays the oboe. This book is filled with musical references and references to classical music (I loved that part).

The dissonance is between Strum, aged 18, and his father. Strum is deeply concerned about our planet and about our human impact and of course about global warming and climate change. His dad thinks all of this is nonsense and to make things worse he seems to impose unfair rules on the family.

Maddie has a brilliant mind. She is in Grade Seven but attends a Grade Eight geometry class each week on a nearby campus. Maddie also has ambition. She wants to play the oboe solo at the upcoming concert but she is only second oboe and it seems Oliver, first oboe, will be the one to play the beautiful music from Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev. With all the turmoil around her Maddie is anxious and her anxiety can be seen from her obsession with numbers. There are safe and lucky numbers and numbers which mean everything is sure to go wrong. Maddie is a counter (I am a counter too). She counts steps, and floorboards and really anything as a way to calm down. 

Maddie compulsively counts objects and believes that even numbers are the best. She is a gifted math student who appreciates order and regularity, eating the same precisely prepared sandwich for lunch every day. Kirkus

After her oboe lesson her mum usually picks her up but today it is her sister Aria and she has some bad news. Strum is missing. He has walked away from his university and no one knows where he has gone. Over the coming weeks Maddie watches her family disintegrate. 

Music mentioned in this book. I suggest listening to these while you read this book:

• Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev
• Morning Mood from the Peer Gynt Suites by Edvard Greig
• String quartet No.2 in D Major by Alexander Borodin
• Adagio for strings by Samuel Barber
• Largo from Symphony No.9 by Antonin Dvorak
• Nutcracker suite by Tchaikovsky
• Rhapsody in Blue by George Geershwin
• Bolero by Maurice Ravel
• Ode to Joy from Symphony No.9 by Beethoven

I highly recommend Everywhere Blue especially for sensitive readers 10+ who enjoy verse novels and stories filled with genuine emotions. I really like the cover by Elena Megalos but it does slightly puzzle me. Strum loves butterflies and you can see they are part of the illustration. Maddie plays the oboe - yes it is there too. Strum is missing and that feels like a chasm in Maddie's life I guess and we can see a boy with a backpack striding away to a remote place. But why is there a guitar? I guess because you strum a guitar and it matches his name? Blue is Strum's favourite colour. The sadness of his loss is making the world feel blue.

This book has several awards:

• An NCTE Notable Verse Novel
• A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year
• A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
• Cybils Award Poetry Winner

I am very keen to share some companion books to go with Everywhere Blue. You could click Verse Novel in my sidebar but I really want to tell you about another book where the main character counts things as a way to cope (this is probably Counting by 7s but I am not entirely certain - my memory is of a middle grade book where the girl counts things including the bristles on her toothbrush) and also I need to mention a book I read quite recently about an absent brother - The collected works of Gretchen Oyster.

I also recommend these books which are filled with music:

Just Dance

Fly Away

The Flying Orchestra

The View from the 32nd Floor 

(this is long out of print and the cover is not especially appealing 

but I highly highly recommend this terrific book for so many reasons! 

My post has a comment by the author)

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

"I know that being Touched comes from tiny specks that travel in your body. That is why Nanay and I must be careful not to drink from the same water or eat from the same spoon, 

in case these tiny specks go from her to me. "

Publisher blurb: Amihan lives on Culion Island, where some of the inhabitants – including her mother – have leprosy. Ami loves her home – with its blue seas and lush forests, Culion is all she has ever known. But the arrival of malicious government official Mr Zamora changes her world forever: islanders untouched by sickness are forced to leave. Banished across the sea, she's desperate to return, and finds a strange and fragile hope in a colony of butterflies. Can they lead her home before it's too late?

Opening sentence: "Even if I told you that we have oceans clear and blue as summer skies, filled with sea turtles and dolphins, or forest-covered hills lush with birds that call through air thick with warmth. Even if you knew how beautiful and quiet it is here, clean and fresh as a glass bell ringing. But nobody comes here because they want to."

"Nanay says that in the places outside, they have many names for our home. The Island of the living dead, The Island of no return, The Island at the end of Everything."

Ami is born on this island - it is the place where the lepers have been sent. Ami does not have leprosy but her precious mother is very badly affected.  One day a government official arrives with the news that the untouched children will be taken away to another island to live in an orphanage. 

If you need to share a written portrait of a truly evil person you could explore this man - Mr Zamora.

"His gaze is fixed on the dying butterfly, and all my fear of him returns. He is enjoying watching it die."

Over the next few days all of the children are checked then they are loaded into a boat and taken to a nearby island. Mr Zamora collects and kills butterflies which is a perfect metaphor for the way he treats the precious children from Culion. Ami will be gone for six years but she and her mother promise to write to each other every day. I imagine you have guessed Mr Zamora forbids this but somehow Ami does discover her mother is seriously ill and so with her new friend Mari and a small silent boy from home the three children set off in a leaky boat to make the very dangerous journey home.

Read an extract here. 

I have COVID - I am going to say this is perhaps not an appropriate book to read when you feel ill but on the other hand it was such an engrossing story that I was able to read the whole book in one day. Here is some background reading (for adults) about the history of Culion Island, 

A heartbreaking and heartwarming must-read about love, loss, friendship, and determination in times of desperation. Kirkus Star review

This story was simply stunning. I don't know how I can describe it in many more words. I was swept up in Ami's narrative from the first page and I stayed engrossed until the very last page. ... Yet what I loved most about the story above all else was the themes that flowed throughout. Children's fiction doesn't have to be simple and one-dimensional, and the author proves this by exploring how damaging prejudice can be and how wrong it is to judge others by their appearance. The Book Bag

Poetic, bittersweet and full of heart, this has the feel and quality of an instant classic. BookTrust

You could follow The Island at the end of everything with this book and also Maria's Island:

Beyond the Bright Sea

I added The Island at the end of Everything to my Kindle because I previously loved The Girl of Ink and Stars.

Butterflies Belong Here by Deborah Hopkinson illustrated by Meilo So

 

"I wondered if I'd ever be brave enough to speak up, take charge, and be noticed."

First off let's take a close look at the full title of this book:

Butterflies Belong Here: A story of one idea, thirty kids, and a world of butterflies

Butterflies belong here implies something has gone wrong. That the butterflies are no longer in this place. We have to ask why?

A story of one idea and thirty kids - it must be time for activism and this will be led by the children beginning with one child and her idea.

A world of butterflies - hooray they have come back but why did they disappear in the first place?

Our young narrator explains:

"Monarch butterflies are soft and gentle, like my baby brother. Some monarchs make a long, long journey, just like we did. They have to be strong to fly so far."

Image Source: National Geographic kids

In Summer our narrator begins to look for monarch butterflies with their large black and orange wings. She has read about them in a library book. (I love the Teacher-Librarian in this book).  There are none to be found. Why?

"Monarchs need a special plant called milkweed. ... (but) Milkweed is in trouble, and so monarchs are too. I learned that in 20 years, the number of monarchs has fallen by 90 percent. The problem is big and butterflies are so small."

The young girl keeps reading about this precious creature and she discovers a solution. They need to make a monarch way station - a garden filled with milkweed and nectar flowers. After sharing this idea with her class everyone joins in the project. The children build a way station.  Then the class project expands into the whole school and from there to the local council.

This is one of those truly special books which combines a narrative as described above interspersed with double pages of facts and practical suggestions presented in an easy to read style with colourful scientifically accurate illustrations. This book would make a splendid addition to any school library collection. And as a bonus the illustrations by Meilo So are simply perfect. Meilo So was born in Hong Kong and educated in the United Kingdom. She lives with her family in the Shetland Islands, Scotland.  Take a look inside this book here. Here is a web site for Deborah Hopkinson.  

Deborah Hopkinson’s moving and educational story combines a fictional account of growing up with scientific information on butterflies. The structure is exceptionally effective in showing kids and adults that some children find their voice, discover a talent, or overcome hesitation or shyness when they become involved in a cause or activity they believe in. Celebrate Picture Books

Meilo So’s gorgeous and tender illustrations portray vibrant scenes of flower bedecked balconies, blooming community gardens, and a busy, colorful town. So cleverly depicts the library’s stacks of books in similar floral hues, connecting the nurturing of children and butterflies. Celebrate Picture Books

Images from: Books 4 Your Kids

I was excited to discover Meilo So illustrated the cover of Bronze and Sunflower. Here are some other books illustrated by Meilo So:

Lemon Butterfly by Cao Wenxuan illustrated by Roger Mello

The lemon butterfly searches for a field of flowers. The journey is long and dangerous but the lemon butterfly is determined to find the field. After what feels like weeks of flying the lemon butterfly sees the beautiful flowers but:

"The fragrance grows stronger once again. According to the white horse, the field of flowers lies just beyond the low hills. The hills appear before the lemon butterfly. But when it flies over them, what it sees makes it scream. The field is flooded ... the flowers float crystal clear under the water."

How will the fragile butterfly ever reach the flowers? The ending is certain to astonish you.

In 2017 I was able to attend the USBBY National conference held in Seattle at the University of Washington. At this amazing event Cao Wenxuan told us the story of Lemon Butterfly. He spoke in Chinese and his words were translated as he told the story. Then the wonderful Roger Mello showed us all the book. The organisers held an auction of this copy and it was sold for over US$1700.  Of course the real book is no where near as expensive as this. When I came home to Australia I asked the nephew of a friend to try to find the Chinese edition of Lemon Buttterfly for me on his visit to China. I think it cost around AUS$15. At that time this book was not yet translated into English. Last week my English edition arrived. It will be available from 28th February, 2021 here in Australia.  So now I have two, very different copies, of Lemon Butterfly.

More about the story written just after the 2017 USBBY conference (Chinese books for Young Readers Blog)

The second picture book by Cao and Mello is called Lemon Butterfly 柠檬蝶, currently in the original Chinese version only. A lemon butterfly goes on an arduous journey to search for a field of flowers, crossing rivers and mountains and getting lost before it finally reaches the field, only to find that flowers have been submerged under water. The surprise ending gives a philosophical spin to the story, which also presents environmental concerns. Cao told the audience that he studied philosophy for fifteen years, and has found the format of the picture book perfect for expressing philosophical issues.

In the story, the butterfly takes an accidental detour by following the scent of flowers wafting from hoof prints in the mud. Cao revealed the cultural reference behind the scene as a line from Chinese poetry, “Returning from treading on fallen flowers, even horse hooves are scented” (踏花归来马蹄香). The poem famously inspired Chinese brush paintings that depict butterflies dancing around hoof prints.

One of a kind—an intriguing, sophisticated study in contrasts that reimagines the potential of picture-book art. Kirkus Star review

I talked to Roger Mello in Austin, Texas at the next USBBY Conference. He was kind enough to send me the text of the story as sent to him by Cao Wenxuan. This means I have this book in three different formats - the Chinese book which as you can see here spreads right out, the new English edition, and a word document of the original translated text sent to Roger Mello.

Mello made the picture book accordion style, and cut out the shape of butterflies, rather than illustrate them. As he explained, instead of showing butterflies, he decided to portray the absence of them.

About the author:

Cao Wenxuan 曹文轩 is an award winning novelist from Jiangsu Province, China. He is the Vice President of the Beijing Writers’ Association and a professor at Peking University. His works include The Straw House, Dragonfly Eye, and Bronze and Sunflower. He was the first Chinese writer to be awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award. His novels have been translated into eight languages.

About the illustrator:

Roger Mello is an award winning illustrator and author. He has illustrated over 100 titles, 22 of which he also wrote. His unique style and sense of color continues to push the boundaries of children’s book illustration. He was the first Latin American artist to be awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

The new English edition does not list the translator.  Here are a few samples of the text:

To a butterfly, a field of flowers is the most beautiful thing in the world. And as it moves, the vision of a flower field flashes before its eyes. Scintillating!

Wind whips over the water, nearly crushing the butterfly against the spray, but it perseveres. Perhaps there is a field of flowers ahead. It hears the rumbling of the waters. But the murmuring of its heart is louder. "I must find that field of flowers!"

In Australia the paperback edition of Lemon Butterfly is fairly inexpensive. This book would make a good addition to a Primary or High School library. I also found this alternate Chinese edition. I am not sure of the illustrator: