The unique
illustrations in this book really stand out! It’s on the list of books
nominated for this year’s Blue Spruce Award from the Ontario Library
Association.
Summary from
Amazon.com:
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.
Butterfly Park was
written and illustrated by Elly Mackay. It was published by Running Press Kids
in 2015.
My Thoughts as a
Writer:
This story is a good
example of a plot where a main character starts with a problem – why are there
no butterflies in Butterfly Park? The attempts to solve the problem are
appropriate for the girl’s age level. I liked that it was written without a
name for the main character, so anyone could put themselves in her place.
What really stands out
for me with this book are the illustrations. They are created using a unique
style of photographing her drawings which she sets up in a miniature theatre.
She talks about her process in the trailer for her book If You Plant a Seed:
My Thoughts as a
Teacher:
This story may spark a
lot of discussion about taking care of the environment and ways children can
work on solving problems. It’s also a good model for talking about story
structure. There is lots of detail in the illustrations, so it would also be a
good book for demonstrating how pictures can tell a story.
Themes: environment, community, good deeds, butterflies
Ages: 4 – 8
Grades: preschool – grade 3
Follow-Up Activities:
- What is your favorite page from the book? Why? Draw or write about it.
- Write a mini story and create your own paper theatre diorama to illustrate it.
- Create the life cycle of a plant using a paper cut out art technique.
- Make a paper garden with paper flowers and butterflies.
You can also find an
art extension activity on Elly Mackay’s website.
