The Butterfly House

The house at the end of Holly's road looks wild and overgrown. Some people are scared of it, but Holly thinks it looks like something out of a fairy tale. One day, she decides to explore and sees a lady at the window. Her mother explains that this is the house's owner, Miss Brown, who has been ill for a while. Holly writes to Miss Brown and a friendship forms between the two, helping Miss Brown to feel more like herself once more.

The Butterfly House is a delightful story, celebrating the healing power of nature, friendship and the power of community. There is so much to discuss and explore here. For me, Miss Brown's struggles with her mental health are sensitively explored, showing how things in her mind have overwhelmed her just as the garden has overwhelmed the house. Her friendship with Holly has made her feel that she is not alone and the idea that 'a bit of wildness is good for all of us . . . It's just about learning to live alongside it' is one well worth exploring.

I love the fact that Holly approaches both her mother and her teacher for support. Her mum's response - underlined by the illustration - makes it clear that sneaking into other people's gardens is not a good idea ('Not everyone is friendly', she explained), allowing for discussions about keeping safe. Holly's curiosity is channelled into helping with the school allotment and using the library (books, not computers- yay!) to find out more about butterflies - perfect for inspiring a class or school project along similar lines.

Gathering the community together to help Miss Brown make her garden a haven for wildlife once more is a lovely idea and shows the importance of kindness and care for those in our community. Full of lovely illustrations to linger over, The Butterfly House is a book to linger over and enjoy again and again.

Picture book / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+