Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors by Petr Horacek, Petr Horacek (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Little ones will hover over this colorful look at insect critters as they peek through die-cuts and enjoy a final pop-up surprise.

Lucy sees a beautiful butterfly in the garden, along with a bright green beetle, a brilliant blue dragonfly, some red ladybugs, and many more flying and crawling things. But when will the radiant butterfly appear again? Petr Horácek uses his trademark saturated hues and simple shapes to create an enticing view of the world of colors — and a peekaboo look at the slow-paced life abuzz in the backyard garden.

Publishers Weekly

An engaging read that stimulates the senses, this title will titillate young imaginations with lively and entertaining pictures and words. From the get-go, the story brims with vibrant energy, as a girl chases after a butterfly in her backyard garden. She returns the next day hoping to find her playmate again-only it is nowhere to be found. Instead, a cornucopia of colorful insects dominates the scene. Like the butterfly, they too are active creatures, and are associated with strong verbs such as "buzzing," "slithering" and "scurrying." Horácek's (Silly Suzy Goose) well-executed die-cuts include a cheery family of ladybugs (with a die-cut within a die-cut providing the requisite spots) and a trio of voracious earthworms whose faces derive from a fern-like plant on an earlier page. The array of vibrant insects captures the girl's attention, and before long, it appears she can hardly remember the butterfly. But lest readers worry that these other insects have usurped the butterfly's place in her heart-and the storyline-a larger than life pop-up of the title character provides a dramatic ending, practically leaping off the pages and delighting the girl (and most likely, kids as well). This story soars with energy and proves that, indeed, good things come to those who wait. Ages 3-5. (Apr.)

Children's Literature

Eric Carle's "Very Hungry Caterpillar" is now a classic known and loved by children everywhere. This title is very likely to become an addition to that list. The beautiful, vibrant color illustrations with cleverly designed holes, completely compliment the text. One day while playing in the garden, a small girl named Lucy sees a beautiful butterfly. The next day, the butterfly is nowhere to be found. But Lucy, dressed in a red and black polka dotted dress, discovers many additional and wonderful things. These include a pink earthworm, a brown spider, a green beetle, a family of "spotty red ladybugs," purple caterpillars, and a blue dragonfly. Still, Lucy yearns to find the butterfly. Her long search yields nothing, so she finally lies down in the grass to watch the sky. The last page reveals a gorgeous pop-up butterfly flying above Lucy's head. This very special book should be included as a first purchase for every library's children's collection.

School Library Journal

PreS - On a glorious day, a young girl spots a beautiful butterfly and gleefully chases it around the garden. The next day, she can't find it, but she discovers an array of wonderful creatures. In the end, her butterfly reappears, popping up from the pages. Horácek's acrylic illustrations are reminiscent of the work of Eric Carle. This simple story is partnered with bold, vibrant illustrations that jump off the page. Though the story is quite spare, youngsters will love the large, bright, textured pictures and die-cut pages.-Linda Zeilstra Sawyer, Skokie Public Library, IL

Kirkus Reviews

A little girl's study of a butterfly leads her to discover many other tiny creatures. Lucy spots a brightly colored butterfly perched on a tall flower, and follows it around all day. The next day she can't find it anywhere, but her search turns up a pink earthworm, a brown spider, a green beetle, a family of ladybugs, a purple caterpillar, etc. Lucy lies down in the grass to wait, and she and the reader both get a pleasant surprise: Her colorful butterfly appears, in a giant pop-up! The subtitle on the cover identifies this as "A Book of Colors," and indeed the author's bold acrylics nearly jump off the page. In addition to the pop-up, there are a series of die-cuts throughout; the back of a ladybug becomes a part of Lucy's polka-dot dress and, when that page is turned, those dots/holes turns the orange shell of a snail into caterpillar heads. Simple, concise text should make this accessible for young readers. (Picture book. 3-6)

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