"The Butterfly"

"The Butterfly"

Written and Illustrated By: Patricia Polacco

Grades 3-5

Multicultural/Culturally Diverse

Ever wanted to learn about the Holocaust through a child’s eyes? Do you ever think about how you would have acted during this terrible time? Think you would have been brave enough to help Jewish families? Well by reading this story you will learn about a little girl who’s life was completely changed by a girl hiding in her basement. See how a forbidden friendship blossoms during this terrifying time in history.

Monique is a young girl living in Choisy-le Rio located next to Paris with her mother. Monique’s village is filled with Nazi soldiers during the time of the French Resistance. One night Monique is awaked to find a young girl, close to her in age, sitting at the foot of her bed. This frightens Monique because she thinks the girl is a ghost! She quietly asks the ghostly girl who she is which causes the girl to run out of the room. At breakfast Monique explains the ghostly girl to her mother who quickly becomes angry with Monique. Her mother demands that it was just a dream and nothing more. After making her mother upset with her “dream” Monique shares her story with Denise, her best friend, on the way home from school. It is at this time that Monique expresses that she got the feeling of fear from this ghostly girl. The two girls then pop into Monsieur Marks’ candy shop for some sweets. Shortly after leaving there Nazi soldiers rush into the candy store and take Monsieur Marks captive. Seeing this horrifies the two young girls who quickly run to Monique’s house to be comforted by her mother. Neither of the girls understands why it had to happen to Monsieur Marks because he is a Frenchman and not Jewish. After this incident many nights pass without the “ghost” returning again. Then one night this “ghost” girl once again awakens Monique. She assures her that it is okay for her to be there and learns that this is no ghost but a girl named Sevrine. Sevrine explains that she has lived many places since the war began and completely shocks Monique when she explains how she lives in Monique’s basement. Turns out that Monique’s mother is hiding Sevrine and her family in their basement. Monique’s mother made Sevrine promise that she would never go into Monique’s bedroom while she was there because her mother did not want Monique to know about the hidden family. After that night Sevrine sees Monique as often as she can at night without disturbing her family. Since Sevrine is stuck in a basement Monique brings her things from outside to touch and smell. She brings in a butterfly that both Monique and Sevrine can’t take their eyes off of. It is at this time that Sevrine breaks down and explains how she misses her own home and celebrating the Jewish holidays. Monique and Sevrine release the butterfly into the night and Sevrine connects the butterfly flying to her and her family flying. At this moment the girls see that the neighbor, Monsieur Lendormy, has seen them. The girls know that Monique’s basement is no longer safe for Sevrine’s family so they quickly tell her mother what has happened. Now the race against time begins to get Sevrine and her family to safety. In the dark of the night the families walk in the woods and alleyways to reach the get away car. Sevrine and her family get into the car and ride away into the night. Monique can only hope that her new friend makes it to safety. Then in a crowded train station Monique gets separated from her mother trying to get home. She is forced on a train without her mother going in the wrong direction. Once the train comes to a stop Monique is forced to walk home, which she does successfully. Monique collapses into her bed and falls into a deep sleep still wondering where her mother could be. When she walks up she finds herself wrapped up in her mothers arms. They have both made it back home and are reunited. Weeks pass and the thought of Sevrine has never once left Monique’s mind. All she asks for is a sign to know if Sevrine and her family are safe. Just then a groups of butterflies fill the garden where Monique and her mother are sitting. A butterfly lands on Monique’s cheek and “kisses” her, which she takes as a sign that Sevrine and her family are alive and safe.

This was an amazing story to read and the illustrations that Polacco uses really brings the book to life. Polacco does an amazing job of really making you feel like you are a part of the scene through the description she uses and her illustrations. I found it very interesting that Monique and Monique’s mother are actually relatives of Polacco. This story is based on true events that happened to Polacco’s relatives. This story brings to life a very gruesome time in history and puts it into the point of view of a child. Hearing about an event like this from a child’s point of view is not something that is done very often. Teaching students about this difficult time in history can be very challenging for teachers. Using a book like “The Butterfly” can let students see how children their own age experienced those events.

I would keep this book in my classroom library because it is a very strong multicultural story. This story brings together families of different religions during unsafe times. It shows how even during the worst of times there are still people willing to step up and do the right thing. Hiding Sevrine and her family was a very risky thing for Monique’s mother to do. If anyone had found out about the hidden Jewish family everyone would have been endangered. This story shows how friendships can blossom at crazy times. It teachers students that friendships can form between people who are “different.” In some cases these differences might not even be visible. The holocaust was such an awful time in our history and to think about all the people who had to suffer just because of their religion is upsetting. This is a very important event in history because it greatly affected where we are today. Having a story like this in my classroom will allow my students to learn about this event through the eyes of a child.

MA Curriculum Framework

2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.

7. Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).

8. Identify elements of fiction (e.g., characters, setting, plot, problem, solution) and elements of poetry (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, figurative language, alliteration, onomatopoeia).