Saving the Butterfly: A story about refugees

Gill Smith’s illustrations for Saving the Butterfly (Walker) by Helen Cooper also lean towards muted grey shades as we see a boy and his older sister, two refugees, rescued from a boat. The boy settles, makes friends, but the girl is haunted by the past and can’t move on until the day her brother brings her a butterfly. As the insect and the girl begin to flourish, the illustrations become as rich and colourful as the butterfly’s wings. A tender tale focusing on the aftermath of conflict, it’s a great companion to Nicola Davies’s The Day War Came (2019). * Observer *
with illustrations that find sweetness in sadness, this touching picture book is the resonant story of refugee siblings who have lost everything but each other * The Sunday Times *
This is the most beautiful story of loss, fear and hope, tied together with the healing power of nature. * Juno *
The lyrical text is complemented by Gill Smith’s emotive illustrations. […] A gentle story that can be read with children in KS1 to talk about refugee experience and, more generally about the balance between taking time to heal and finding the courage to overcome difficulties. * Just Imagine *
Featured in The Bookseller children's previews for July 2023 * The Bookseller *