Butterflies for Grandpa Joe

By Author / Illustrator

Nicola Davies, Mike Byrne

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Barrington Stoke Ltd

ISBN

9781781128824

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

07-10-2019

Synopsis

Grandpa Joe is butterfly bonkers. There's nothing he loves more than photographing the fluttering, colourful creatures in his garden. But since Ben's granny passed away, Grandpa Joe has changed. He doesn't want to go outside or talk or smile. It's like he's a completely different person and it feels like time is running out to help him. If only Ben could find a way to bring the butterflies to his Grandpa. Maybe seeing them again could help bring back his smile ...A heart-warming tale of empathy, affection and dealing with grief across generations, from award-winning author Nicola Davies. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers aged 8+

Reviews

This is the touchingly moving story of young Ben and his butterfly-loving Grandpa. At the start of the story , we find Grandpa's love of life, nature and his beloved butterflies is dulled by his grief at the loss of his wife. This gentle and emotional story follows Ben's earnest, loving attempts to bring the colour and joy back into his Grandpa's life by rearing some of his favourite butterflies all by himself. The book explores the lovely, close bond between the two characters beautifully. Ben's blended family is modern and feels very relatable to its readers. It's a nice touch that it is Ben's half sisters whose births were a factor in the Grandparents finding it difficult to see Ben, who are the ones who give Ben the idea of how to remind his Grandad of the beauty around him. I found this a sensitively written book that softly explores loss and grief and the ways it can change someone's outlook on life. The power of nature, lifecycles and new life is used extremely well as a way people can connect and overcome sadness and create new beginnings to move forward. The beautiful illustrations by Mike Byrne add to this being a genuinely lovely story, full of heart, for readers wanting stories about emotions they can relate to. 96 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Jenny Caddick, HLTA