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Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Butterflies Are Pretty GROSS! Written by Rosemary Mosco and illustrated by Jacob Souva. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2021. $21.99 ages 6 and up


"Yes, butterflies are beautiful. 
Is that all you wanted to know about 
butterflies? Great! Then ... 

DON'T TURN THE PAGE 

Close this book. 
You're done. The story's over.
Nothing to see here.
"

The butterfly is the narrator here, and quick to let readers know what everyone already knows about them. Butterflies are pretty; their flutter, their wings, their poses, and their many colors! However, that is not all that butterflies are. Before moving on, readers are warned not to turn the page. You know what happens next, don't you? 

Surprise at not listening to the warning is one thing. What is next shared is an explanation for just how gross butterflies truly are. They eat rotten food and dead animals. What? There's more. Some have little color, make a lot of noise, and there's even more that. The narrator provides ample opportunity to stop reading if the reader is bothered by the information being presented. You can be pretty sure that every young reader will be keen to carry on. If not, they would not know: 

"Some butterflies eat poop. 

They snack on salt and other
tasty stuff from big piles of 
animal dung.
" 

Jacob Souva creates digital artwork that fully complements the tone of the text. An earthy palette, and images of a variety of butterflies will engage and entertain young readers. The final spread shows a thumbnail sketch of each of the featured butterflies, with a few other pertinent facts, and their geographic range.                                                                  

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