Where Do Butterflies Go at Night? Find out in this picture book by Jeanne Balsam. You will see how the young narrator makes wonderfully silly, fun, and even serious guesses about what happens to the butterflies when it is time for the day to sleep. Wonderfully poetic, simple, but detailed, the story unfolds with the magical and imaginative illustrations of Stella Mongodi. These amazingly rich, deeply colored and a mix of light and dark, shadows and glow, and hidden gems flesh out the story. They are a character within themselves and should be as closely read as the text itself.
Now, I greatly enjoyed the story, but we know that story. Maybe it was not about butterflies, but the imagination and questioning of a child has been seen before. It was truly the illustrations of the book that make this a rating 4.5 (not 4) for me. I would love to see the art framed for a baby’s room, or a kitchen wall, even a study wall. The book is a good new baby gift as it will grow with the child. And it works for a one-on-one reading, or a group setting. It is a positive, sweet, hopeful story.
I plan on looking into other books that Stella Mongodi has created. At quick blush they seem similar, but each one is going to take on the personality of the text. Therefore, it looks like a delightful journey in learning about the style of an illustrator but also finding some neat new picture books as well.
