A
n engaging read that stimulates the senses, this title will titillate young imaginations with lively and entertaining pictures and words. From the get-go, the story brims with vibrant energy, as a girl chases after a butterfly in her backyard garden. She returns the next day hoping to find her playmate again—only it is nowhere to be found. Instead, a cornucopia of colorful insects dominates the scene. Like the butterfly, they too are active creatures, and are associated with strong verbs such as “buzzing,” “slithering” and “scurrying.” Horácek's (Silly Suzy Goose
) well-executed die-cuts include a cheery family of ladybugs (with a die-cut within a die-cut providing the requisite spots) and a trio of voracious earthworms whose faces derive from a fern-like plant on an earlier page. The array of vibrant insects captures the girl's attention, and before long, it appears she can hardly remember the butterfly. But lest readers worry that these other insects have usurped the butterfly's place in her heart—and the storyline—a larger than life pop-up of the title character provides a dramatic ending, practically leaping off the pages and delighting the girl (and most likely, kids as well). This story soars with energy and proves that, indeed, good things come to those who wait. Ages 3-5. (Apr.)
