Review Detail

Saving the Butterfly is a thought provoking and emotional read. The muted tones of the illustrations, with a few pops of color here and there, really help bring forth the darkness of the situation.

I feel like this book left me with more questions than it did answers, and I really was not fond of how it began - almost like in the middle of a story. It doesn't shine a big enough light on what refugees have gone, and still go, through.

As someone who suffers from depression, I quickly made that connection with the older sibling, the sister. That arc of the story was more complete, more in depth. We follow along with her as she watches her younger brother bounce back from their harrowing journey on the sea; he's making friends and having fun. While she, the older sister, is fearful of everything new around her. Until one day, there was a little butterfly that forced her hand and gave her courage to move on just a little.

While I don't think this is a highly educational read, I do believe it could help open the door for younger audiences on these different social issues.