I Wish I Were a Butterfly [Hardcover]

James Howe (Author), Ed Young (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 1987 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The littlest cricket of Swampswallow Pond is convinced only by the Wise Old One that being special has nothing to do with physical metamorphosis, flashy colors, or shimmering wings. “The cricket is every child who stopped the music because someone criticized casually, thoughtlessly. It takes a wise friend to bring the music back.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After the frog at the pond's edge tells him that he's ugly, the cricket of Swampswallow Pond loses his zest for life and for singing. The glowworm and the ladybug try to persuade the cricket that he's just as good as the rest of them, while the dragonfly declares, "Wishing is a waste of time." Finally, the Old One, a spider who lives on the other side of the pond, spins a wise tale about the real beauty of friendship and convinces the cricket to sing again. The author tells the familiar story of the loss of identity and the uniqueness of individuals in a wistful, not particularly fresh, way. While Howe gives insects a human dimension, Young perceives that world with the eye of a cricket or a dragonfly, noting the color variations and luster on that particular wavelength. The resultant paintings are extraordinary, almost abstract works, much worthier of praise than this oft-told tale. Ages 4-8. or this oft-passed-back-and- forth-review!!!
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3 In the cleanest, clearest prose he's written to date, Howe tells a simple fable that deserves to stay in print a long, long, time. The littlest cricket is so miserable that he refuses to make music because the frog called him ugly. He wishes he were a butterfly instead. When he sees the wise old spider, she tells him what she thinks of him and what she has learned in her spider's life ``spinning and waiting, waiting and spinning.'' He finally feels beautiful, and of course, he is. He begins to fiddle again, and a butterfly, hearing, says, ``I wish I were a cricket.'' Young's shimmering pastels create an insect's view, moving from the cricket's dark jungle of grass with flashes of sun, to light from the butterfly's viewpoint. An excellent lap book, the story also tells well. The cricket is Everychild who stopped the music because someone criticized casually, thoughtlessly. It takes a wise friend to bring the music back, if it's possible. This book could help. Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Pub . Lib . , Mich.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (October 20, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 015200470X
• ISBN-13: 978-0152004705
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Wish..., July 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: I Wish I Were a Butterfly (Hardcover)

This is the story of a little cricket who comes to realize his true beauty after being helped by a wise old spider. The little cricket lives in Swampswallow Pond where most of the other crickets are happy spending their days fiddling. This little cricket is not happy. He has been told by the frog at the edge of the pond that he is ugly. He envies all the other creatures that live in Swampswallow Pond. The cricket questions several of the creatures about his beauty, but it isn't until he comes upon the wise old spider that he is able to find his own beauty. Follow Up: Ask students what they think about the story. Students will brainstorm ideas about wishes. Students can write about their own wishes and dreams.Make a class book. Students will write about some things they like about themselves. Draw a different student's name each day and have everyone write the student a letter telling them what they like about that person. Perform this story as a reader's theater.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, April 20, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: I Wish I Were a Butterfly (Paperback)

As a teacher, I can not tell you enough how fabulous this book is! It not only has beautiful illustrations it also has a beautiful message! I use this whenever I teach my butterfly unit, and this is always the kids favorite book that I read! Buy it - you will not regret it!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful and inspiring!!, October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Wish I Were a Butterfly (Paperback)

I am a senior in high school, and our English teacher shared this story with us, and had us to look for a deeper meaning. It is wonderful and inspiring. I want a copy so I can share it with my children one of these days.