THE GARDEN AND THE GLEN

Butterflies learn a lesson about discriminating by color in this illustrated kids’ book.

In an idyllic garden, all the flowers are yellow, and so are the butterflies—all but one blue butterfly who’s “beautiful and easy to spot, like a berry in butter.” When the yellow butterflies see her, they chase her out of the garden, chanting, “She does not belong. It’s wrong. It’s wrong!” The blue insect escapes to a glen in the forest, where the various plants and animals come in a gorgeous array of colors. They enthusiastically welcome her, because they, too, have been bullied by the yellow butterflies. Meanwhile, the wise and caring Butterfly Queen has become gravely ill, which has allowed a bossy yellow butterfly to take over. A yellow medicine flower, which is invisible in the monochromatic surroundings, could save the queen if the blue outcast points it out—but the yellow usurper nefariously intends to prevent her from doing so. The blue butterfly and her colorful friends must work together in order to rescue the rightful queen. In her debut children’s book, Moseley makes her message obvious: “You are all different and all perfect, just as you are….Now, you reach beyond yourselves, using your differences to help your friends.” The story avoids feeling overly preachy, however, through its use of poetic language and vivid descriptions, such as “A full moon rose, waking the stars and sparking a web of light across the sky.” The animals and plants in the glen are also appealing; although they feel intimidated by the yellow-butterfly gang, they screw up their courage after seeing how their new visitor has brought them all together. The soft, pastel watercolors by debut illustrator Green are lovely and nicely express the book’s magical feel. The suspense and danger as the queen’s health worsens and the power-hungry yellow butterfly plots adds to the excitement.

A charming celebration of diversity featuring pleasant images.