A British boy and a white lion cub form a bond in turn-of-the-century South Africa, and when years later, the now grown-up boy sees the lion's image on a circus poster, he vows to find his friend again."
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8. Elements of fantasy and fiction are woven into this fast-paced adventure. A student runs away from boarding school and meets an elderly lady, whom he later discovers is a ghost. She tells the story of another boy, Bertie, who grew up long ago in Africa and eventually became her husband. Lonely and neglected by his parents, he rescues an abandoned white lion cub and cares for it, gradually forming a close bond. After some years the boy's parents abruptly decide to send him to school in England and sell the lion. Bertie attempts to save the animal by returning it to the jungle, but it has lost its ability to survive in the wild and returns to the only home it has known. A French circus owner buys the lion, and the boy vows never to forget him. Twelve years later, Bertie fights in World War I and is decorated for rescuing wounded comrades. In a small French town he finally finds his lion, starving and near death, and the two friends are reunited. Heartened by the woman's tale, the student returns to school. This touching story is well written and emotionally satisfying. Readers will be drawn to this fascinating tale of a unique friendship between boy and beast. In addition to being a successful adventure story, the book demonstrates the value of character?of keeping promises, standing up for one's beliefs, and courage under fire.?Gebregeorgis Yohannes, San Francisco Public Library, CA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. In this story within a story, readers listen along with a 10-year-old boy as a friendly old widow, Millie, tells about her dead husband, Bertie, who grew up in South Africa with a white lion as his pet and only friend. Devastated when his father sells the lion, Bertie vows to find the beast again one day. The story sounds hokey, but Morpurgo evocatively captures the South African landscape and presents young, lonely Bertie's heartbreak and his blossoming friendship and love for Millie with genuine emotion and tender poignancy. Eventually, a reunion does come after Bertie goes off to fight the war in France. When the lion finally dies, Bertie and Millie honor it by carving a monument that attracts beautiful blue butterflies. With just the right mix of tension and romance, this short, sophisticated novel will appeal especially to animal lovers. Kathleen Squires
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Butterfly Lion,
By
This review is from: Butterfly Lion (Paperback)
Excellent! I read this aloud at night with my daughters, ages 9 & 7. We ALL loved it. Morgpurgo quickly draws you in to feel compassion for the lion and for the boy. They both lose each other in Africa and then reunite years later in war-torn Europe, as grown man and adult lion. Mr. Morpurgo takes his reader through the sadness of loss and then through the happiness of triumph...and throws in a bit of a twist at the end. My daughters will definitely re-read this book on their own. A perfect choice for birthday & Christmas gifts.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book captured my imagination,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Butterfly Lion (Hardcover)
This story is the winner of the Smarties Prize and Writers Guild award. A boy called Bertie rescues an orphaned white lion cub from the African Veldt. They are inseparable until Bertie is sent to boarding school far away in England and the lion is sold to a circus. Bertie swears that one day they will see one another again, but the butterfly lion never forgets their friendship.I would recommend this story to nine to thirteen year olds. I would give this story a mark of ten out of ten for being so interesting and capturing my imagination. My best character was the butterfly lion because I felt really sorry for him that he left his friend to go to the circus. My favourite part is when the butterflies fly away from the chalk picture of the lion on the hillside.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hauntingly beautiful ghost story.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Butterfly Lion (Hardcover)
As Millie, an elderly widow, retells the story of her husband Bertie's relationship with a rare white lion, you fall in love with the story and wish something so fantastic could happen to you. The author's attention to the details of the setting make it so real that you can almost see that magical lion. The tender-hearted reader should have a few tissues close by.
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