Already a Butterfly

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By Julia Alvarez & Raúl Colón

Publisher Description

Already a Butterfly is a gentle picture book tale about self-soothing practices and self-confidence beliefs.

With so much to do in so little time, Mari is constantly on the move, flitting from flower to flower, practicing her camouflage poses, and planning for migration. She’s the busiest butterfly around. But does being productive mean she is happy? Mari couldn’t say. The only way she feels like a butterfly is by acting like one. Little does Mari know, the secret to feeling like herself is simply to focus her breath, find her quiet place, and follow her instincts. With the guidance of a thoughtful flower bud, Mari soon learns to meditate and appreciate that she was a butterfly all along.

Acclaimed author Julia Alvarez extolls the importance of mindfulness, reflection, and self-care for young children in this gratifying picture book, stunningly illustrated by award-winning artist Raúl Colón.

Christy Ottaviano Books

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6 Reviews

3.5

Vanessa V

Created over 1 year ago

theo

Created almost 2 years ago

Stacie Gorkow

Created about 3 years ago

“Mari is a busy butterfly. She flies around in a blur, rushing to the next flower to make sure she can get all the nectar and pollinate everything that needs her. When she finally stops for the day, Mari still can’t rest because she is thinking about all the flowers she needs to visit the next day. Can any moms relate? Mari spent time relaxing in her warm chrysalis before she became a butterfly and she misses those peaceful days. When she became a butterfly, her parents, the Posas, sent her off with the parting words “We want you to be happy butterflies!” Since there were hundreds of other butterflies, they couldn’t possibly explain what happy meant, so Mari focused on doing her job to pollinate the flowers. One day a flower bud stops her and reminds her of the days where she felt peaceful and calm and teaches her how to feel that way again. Through breathing exercises and imagination, Mari was able to feel happy again. The illustrations are truly beautiful and the choice of colors are naturally calming. Even though this is a picture book, I feel like it is more appropriate for elementary-aged kids rather than toddler or preschool age. It’s a longer story and has bigger concept ideas, but even the younger ones can understand that our bodies need rest. So finding a way to tell the story at their level and enjoy the gorgeous illustrations would also work. Mariposa is the Spanish word for butterfly and I love how the author used this as the name for the butterfly character. The author has a strong connection to the Mariposa DR Foundation in the Dominican Republic that works to educate and empower impoverished girls. She shares about this organization and her inspiration for this story at the end of the book. No matter where you go in the world, kids are faced with many distractions, lots of stimuli, wanting immediate gratification, and packed schedules that include school, practices, and homework. This book offers an opportunity for kids AND parents to slow down, spend a few minutes not thinking about the next thing, and relax.”

Sary

Created over 3 years ago

“The universe is clearly telling me something. It’s reminding me to take some time connecting with myself. To remember that a long to-do list will only get longer when burnout sets in. In her wondrous and calming picture book, renowned author Julia Alvarez teaches young people how to meditate as Mari Posa does in her story. It’s the picture book I didn’t know I needed. What a joy!”

BookShelfMomma

Created almost 4 years ago

“A beautiful story of Mari Posa, a busy butterfly who flutters around until she stops and meets a bud. The bud teaches her the way to meditate and the importance of it. The illustrations in this book are top notch.”

About Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez is the author of numerous bestselling and award-winning novels including How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of Butterflies, collections of poems, and works of nonfiction, as well as picture books. She has won the Pura Belpré Award, the Américas Award, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature, and the National Medal of Arts.

Raúl Colón has illustrated several highly acclaimed picture books, including Draw!; the New York Times-bestselling Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt; Susanna Reich’s José! Born to Dance; and Jill Biden’s Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops. Mr. Colón lived in Puerto Rico as a young boy and now resides in New City, New York, with his family.