An Invitation to the Butterfly Ball: A Counting Rhyme [Library Binding]

Jane Yolen (Author), Jane Breskin Zalben (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1991

Foxes, turtles, raccoons, and owls are among the forest cretures trying to locate just the right outfits to wear to the social event of the woodland season. Full color.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Pr (August 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878093614
• ISBN-13: 978-1878093615
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,497,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knock Knock! Who's come to call?, October 27, 2001

By 

"wild_soul" (Hammonton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Invitation to the Butterfly Ball: A Counting Rhyme (Paperback)

I'm 30 years old and I still remember reading this book as a child. Not only can I recite parts of it to this day, but so can my mother.
It is a fun way to learn to count. The illustrations are enchanting, as well as the entire story involving all sorts of animals preparing for The Butterfly Ball.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a wonderful book!, October 12, 1999

By 

"krisgrice" - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Invitation to the Butterfly Ball: A Counting Rhyme (Paperback)

I'm 27 and have a very worn copy of the 1976 publication of this book. As a child, I read it so often that I have pieces memorized to this day. It's still my favorite book, and I was afraid I'd never be able to replace it. How wonderful to see such an enchanting and educational book is still in print!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful illustrations, May 24, 2001

By 

Brianna (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Invitation to the Butterfly Ball: A Counting Rhyme (Paperback)

I am a 21 year old college student. My mom read this book to me when I was little. The illustrations were always my favorite part of the book. The mouse finds her way to the ball in a very magical way. I read that book so many times that I can still recite nearly half of it. In my opinion this book was more a visual experience than about counting. Any child should be lucky to own this wonderful piece of work.