Farfalla: A Story of Loss and Hope

PreS-Gr 2—A little beetle and his mother discover many yellow-and-black caterpillars on the leaves of a blueberry bush. They become friends, but soon the caterpillars disappear into white glistening cocoons. Little Beetle thinks of all the fun he will have when his friends become butterflies. One day they emerge from their cocoons, dance in the garden, and fly away. A single cocoon remains, and the little beetle names his butterfly-to-be Farfalla. When no butterfly emerges, Mother Beetle puts a leg around her son and gently explains, "Butterflies that are not born go to live with all other butterflies who die and fly up in the sky with the stars and the moon." Three nighttime spreads reinforce this idea, as a shimmering yellow butterfly says goodbye to Little Beetle. The final spread shows him with the returning butterflies bright against the blue sky. The simple images in the full-color illustrations capture Little Beetle's feelings of friendship, anticipation, disappointment, sorrow, and acceptance. Mother Beetle's comforting presence will be mirrored by caring adults helping children who have experienced the loss of a lovingly anticipated sibling. However, the book will need adult explanation as many children are likely to be confused about what happened to Farfalla.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN