Book Description
for Butterfly Boy by Virginia Kroll and Gerardo Suzan
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Even though his grandfather can no longer speak or smile, Emilio can sense Abuelo's pleasure at the sight of the red admiral butterflies that fly into their yard. Every summer afternoon Emilio wheels Abuelo outside so they can watch them together. When the weather cools and the butterflies disappear, Emilio brings home a library book so he can tell Abuelo more about red admirals: how they hibernate in the winter but will return in the spring, and how they are attracted to bright white surfaces, like the family's garage. Virginia Kroll's warm, charming story depicts a rich relationship between a young boy and his grandfather in the context of a loving Latino family, all magnificently illustrated by Gerardo Suzán. The vibrant, stylized paintings aptly suggest magical realism and show the bond between Emilio and Abuelo with a joyous sense of celebration. At the same time they reveal that behind Abuelo's silence is a lively, active mind that soars with imagination and love. (Ages 5-8)
CCBC Choices 1997. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1997. Used with permission.