I wish I were a butterfly / by James Howe ; illustrated by Ed Young.

The littlest cricket of Swampswallow Pond is convinced only by the Wise Old One that being special has nothing to do with physical metamorphosis, flashy colors, or shimmering wings. "The cricket is every child who stopped the music because someone criticized casually, thoughtlessly. It takes a wise friend to bring the music back."-- School Library Journal

Author Notes

James Howe was born in Oneida, New York on August 2, 1946. He attended Boston University and majored in theater. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as a literary agent. His first book, Bunnicula, was published in 1979. It won several awards including the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award and the Nene Award. He is the author of more than 90 books for young readers including the Bunnicula series, the Bunnicula and Friends series, the Tales from the House of Bunnicula series, Pinky and Rex series, and the Sebastian Barth Mystery series. His other works include The Hospital Book , A Night Without Stars, Dew Drop Dead, The Watcher, The Misfits, Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known As Elvis.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3 In the cleanest, clearest prose he's written to date, Howe tells a simple fable that deserves to stay in print a long, long, time. The littlest cricket is so miserable that he refuses to make music because the frog called him ugly. He wishes he were a butterfly instead. When he sees the wise old spider, she tells him what she thinks of him and what she has learned in her spider's life ``spinning and waiting, waiting and spinning.'' He finally feels beautiful, and of course, he is. He begins to fiddle again, and a butterfly, hearing, says, ``I wish I were a cricket.'' Young's shimmering pastels create an insect's view, moving from the cricket's dark jungle of grass with flashes of sun, to light from the butterfly's viewpoint. An excellent lap book, the story also tells well. The cricket is Everychild who stopped the music because someone criticized casually, thoughtlessly. It takes a wise friend to bring the music back, if it's possible. This book could help. Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Pub . Lib . , Mich. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

After the frog at the pond's edge tells him that he's ugly, the cricket of Swampswallow Pond loses his zest for life and for singing. The glowworm and the ladybug try to persuade the cricket that he's just as good as the rest of them, while the dragonfly declares, ``Wishing is a waste of time.'' Finally, the Old One, a spider who lives on the other side of the pond, spins a wise tale about the real beauty of friendship and convinces the cricket to sing again. The author tells the familiar story of the loss of identity and the uniqueness of individuals in a wistful, not particularly fresh, way. While Howe gives insects a human dimension, Young perceives that world with the eye of a cricket or a dragonfly, noting the color variations and luster on that particular wavelength. The resultant paintings are extraordinary, almost abstract works, much worthier of praise than this oft-told tale. Ages 4-8. or this oft-passed-back-and- forth-review!!!(October) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus Review

The littlest cricket is dissatisfied: the frog has told him he's ugly, so he'd like to be a butterfly. He confides his wish to a series of other insects--glowworm, dragonfly--who respond more pungently than sympathetically. But the spider is more philosophical, and helps him to see that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Young's paintings of the world--as seen from the cricket's point of view--are full of glorious color: sunny yellow, purply black, a shadowed undergrowth of blues and greens livened by ladybug red, similar hues cooled for a pond of waterlilies--each broad double-spread a new delight. The creatures, shown large, are appropriate to their kind, yet have personality. But the illustrations are not well served by the rather ordinary text; the idea is overfamiliar and gains nothing new from this verbose rendition. Still, worth purchasing for the splendid illustrations. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Ages 4-7. A little cricket is distressed because he's so ugly at least that's what the toad in the pond told him. If only he could be a butterfly he tells a glowworm, a ladybug, and then a dragonfly. Each informs the cricket of the obvious: he will never be a butterfly so he might as well be satisfied with his looks. Easy for them to say, the cricket thinks, they are already pleasing to look at. Finally he decides to visit the Old One, a spider who listens to his complaint. The spider makes the cricket see that in her eyes he is beautiful, and once the cricket believes this, he becomes more happy with himself. As the spider spins her web, the cricket begins to make his fiddling music. Just then a butterfly passes and says, ``What beautiful music . . . I wish I were a cricket.'' This neat turnaround will have an impact on even four- or five-year-old listeners. All ages will enjoy Young's impressionistic two-page spreads filled with velvety colors, movement, and whimsical depiction of the insects. The boldness of the art looks even better from a distance, making this an excellent choice for groups who afterward may want to talk about its message. IC. Friendship Fiction / Self-acceptance Fiction / Crickets Fiction / Dragonflies Fiction [CIP] 86-33635

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