A Thousand White Butterflies

Back of Book:

Isabella has recently arrived from Colombia with her mother and Abuela. She misses Papa, who is still in South America. It’s her first day of school, her make-new-friends day, but when classes are canceled because of too much snow, Isabella misses warm, green, Colombia more than ever. Then Isabella meets Katie and finds out that making friends in the cold is easier than she thought!

My Review:

I received a copy of this picture book from Charlesbridge Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

“A Thousand White Butterflies” by own voice debut author Jessica Betancourt-Perez and co-authored by Karen Lynn Williams is a lovely wintery tale about a young girl’s first experience in the snow. Isabella is nervous about her first day of school in America, she misses Papa and everything else familiar about Colombia. When a snow day closes school, Isabella feels more alone than ever. When she ventures outside, she meets a neighbor friend Katie. Although the girls do not speak the same language, they learn that play is its own form of communication. The text brings Isabella’s language and culture into focus by discussing the food she eats, as well as specific words in Spanish. The illustrations by Gina Maldonado are whimsical and capture the purity of new friendships, and freshly fallen snow. The back of the book has notes from both authors, as well as more information about immigration and a glossary of the Spanish words used throughout the story. “A Thousand White Butterflies” is a fantastic book that showcases how friendships can be formed, even with language barriers!

Ages 5 and up

40 Pages