Butterfly Boy

June 1, 1997
K-Gr 4-A tender story about a loving Hispanic family. Although his parents tell him that his grandfather can no longer understand his words, Emilio continues to read to Abuelo, encouraged by the spark in the old man's eyes. When butterflies flutter around the garage wall, the boy is sure Abuelo is smiling, though his lips cannot show it. Emilio gets within inches of the colorful insects and his neighbor calls him "Butterfly Boy." During the winter, he finds a book that identifies the butterflies as red admirals. They flock to the wall because they are attracted to white surfaces and will probably return in the spring. When Emilio glimpses the first red admirals, he rushes home. Agitated, Abuelo points to the boy's father, who is painting the garage blue. While several butterflies flutter aimlessly about the yard, Emilio yanks his white shirt from the clothesline and puts it on, standing still as a statue. The butterflies come to rest on him, one by one, and his father heads out to buy white paint. Emilio feels his heart burst with joy as Abuelo smiles. The close relationship between grandfather and grandson shines through brightly in this story of two people who share a passion for beauty. Abuelo is less articulate, but no less intense. Suzan's illustrations, done in watercolors, acrylics, and salt, are unusual and memorable, drawing readers' eyes with dreamlike, almost surreal juxtapositions of shape and color.-Lisa S. Murphy, formerly at Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA

November 1, 1997
Ages 4^-8. Every day Emilio wheels his grandfather (Abuelo) into the sunshine and reads to him, and they watch the butterflies together. Abuelo can no longer talk, but Emilio is sure that his grandfather understands him. Kroll's story of family intimacy is quiet, but it has a real plot that ends with a surprising transformation. Suzan's brightly colored watercolors and acrylics in a bold folk-art style express the delicacy of the hovering butterflies and the solid presence of the loving family. Abuelo sits stiff and upright in his wheelchair, but the magic realism of the paintings dramatizes what Emilio sees when he watches Abuelo's face--that his grandfather is smiling inside and flying with the butterflies. ((Reviewed November 1, 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)

April 28, 1997
Striking artwork distinguishes this tale of Emilio and his invalid grandfather, Abuelo, who are visited one afternoon by a flock of red admiral butterflies. Watching them, Emilio knows his grandfather is "smiling inside, even though his mouth could no longer show it." In winter, they research the butterflies and eagerly await their return. But when Emilio's father paints the garage blue (red admirals like white surfaces), it's up to the boy to ensure they'll come back to delight his grandfather. Kroll's (Masai and I) prose is deft and assured, her pacing impeccable, and the affectionate relationship between Emilio and his grandfather rings true. Mexican artist Suzan plays up the Latino flavor with a fiesta-bright palette, and, with a nod to magical realism, he serves up dreamlike images that float and hover against a cerulean backdrop. Hats dissolve into flowers, birds and cloud-dappled skies, while the flattened planes of the characters' sculptural faces mirror the strength and solidity of totems. The eye-catching images will draw readers in; the affecting story will sustain their interest. Ages 5-8.