The Beautiful Butterfly: A Folktale from Spain

by Judy Sierra, Victoria Chess (Illustrations)

A beautiful butterfly is courted by many suitors. She finally finds a husband who has a singing voice soft and sweet enough to please her, but no sooner does the honeymoon begin than he is swallowed by a giant fish! All of nature joins her in mourning, setting off a comical chain of events that results in a second chance for the beautiful butterfly and her devoted husband. Enchantingly original depictions of the beautiful butterfly and her friends and an inventive happy ending reveal the sweetness and humor of this enduring Spanish folktale. FOLKLORE NOTE.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Animals, Fantasy, School, Geography

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 17, 2000

Reviews

[midnightfaerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that was recommended as an additional reading on Spain for our Spain/Europe history lesson. It didn't disappoint. My 5 yr old loved it and had a hard time guessing what was going to happen, which he enjoys. The author writes a note in the back saying she changed the ending slightly because it wasn't quite as depressing. Usually I like the darker endings, but because I was reading it with my son, I'm glad it had a happier ending. We both really enjoyed it. Probably somewhere around a level 2 reading level book.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Spanish folktale is outrageously creative, and definitely sweet.

The story establishes the heroine in this way:

In Spain, once upon a time, there lived a beautiful butterfly.

Her delicate wings were flecked with the colors of spring flowers, and she had the most enchanting dark eyes. Everyone loved her.

She has many suitors. The big question she asks of each one is this:

If she marries him, how will he sing to their babies?

OF COURSE, THE LOVE STORY HAS UPS AND DOWNS

Of course, it has a happy ending. What interests me most is how females are understood. Which is to say, more precisely, how females are defined.

Did you notice, in that early description of the butterfly? Her looks matter. She looks very good. So everyone loves her.

All the cleverness and gentle humor of this story is soured for me, given the limited ways that females are defined.

Sure, this book deserves FIVE STARS. But I stand here to point out that our young readers, all of our children, deserve better.

When will readers demand stories where a female character is a person, not just somebody valued based on her appearance. When will a female be valued as more than a bringer of babies?

[Kaylee Harkness · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls were absolutely gutted when the mouse gets eaten! We were all in mourning beside that butterfly!!
What a great ending so glad the author took creative licence with the original folktale!! (She noted in the authors note!)

[Stephanie Locascio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made Gianna LOL!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read it !!!!!!!
Or did you???

[Nolan Brendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because the people asked to marry her and then she married the mouse and the he got eaten and then he got thrown up. That’s why I liked it.

[Queenie Gultia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time seeing what a buttermice looked like if a butterfly and a mouse were to have babies.

[Amy Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst children's books I've seen in a while. It's unfortunate because I like several of the author's other books, but this is one I would skip. I did not like the story or the pictures.

Based on a Spanish folktale, the story centers around a butterfly who is supposed to be very beautiful, but who I find a little creepy. She decides to marry a mouse because he can sing to her children, then, when it appears that he is dead, she becomes very upset--not because she misses him, but because now she won't have anyone to sing to her future-children. Traditionally, that's where the folktale ends. However, the author decided to make it more appealing to children by adding a part at the end where the mouse comes back because an underwear-clad king running around made the fish that had swallowed the mouse laugh and cough up the mouse...

I give this book three boos:
1. The story focuses on the idea that a woman's purpose is to be beautiful so she can gain a husband and have children. Boo.
2. The pictures make all the creatures look creepy. Boo.
3. The mouse and the butterfly do have children--buttermice--who are also super creepy. Boo.

[Marjorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the idea of exposing children to the stories of other cultures. This story is an adaptation of a Spanish folktale. It seems that in Spain they have many stories where a girl bug and a boy of another species fall in love. While these stories usually have a tragic end, I was very happy to see that the author wanted to make the reader smile with a happy ending! This makes reading this book to a sensitive child much more enjoyable. After all, there's plenty of time for them to grow up, so I'm happy to have their innocence preserved for as long as possible. The reader might worry about the fate of the mouse husband, but not for too long. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. I really loved the last two pages, making me almost believe that "buttermice" exist!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful Spanish butterfly, with wings speckled liked brightly colored flowers, decides to marry a little gray mouse. When the mouse falls in the pond while fetching water for his bride, a fish gobbles him up. Only a king in his underwear can make the butterfly laugh and giggle again, and while doing do so, makes the fish release the little gray mouse. A happy reunion is in the works and my favorite part is the little 'buttermice' babies that the butterfly and mouse produce.

Used for "UGH!...BUGS!" Storytime-September, 2010.

[Adriana Fernández-Guillén · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was different, I felt that it was unique how they interpreted the butterfly looking for the perfect voice for her future kids lullaby and she would not marry anyone else but the perfect voice. I thought it was rare to interpret how the butterfly chooses her husband, how your surroundings sympathizes with one and help heal. I thought it was considerate for the author to change the original ending to this folktale because of the children readers.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute little tale about a beautiful butterfly who is very picky about which animal she will marry, basing her decision on how beautifully they can sing to their children. She marries the mouse, but he gets eaten by a fish which then throws the whole world into despair along with the butterfly. Their despair is relieved when the mouse is returned, whole and well, to his new wife.

Cute, colorful illustrations.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a lonely beautiful butterfly finally finds a husband, he gets swallowed up by a fish while filling a pail of water. Through the butterfly's mourning, nature begins to work together and gets the fish to spit out the butterfly's husband. This book was a great way to give a sense of hope in desperate moments. It can be suitable for young children (preschoolers and up).

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting, but a cute and weird little story, which, it turns out, is a popular folktale in Europe and Latin America, with many variations. It was fun to read and we all enjoyed the king in his underwear and the buttermice babies. The illustrations are adorable.

[Kris Odahowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library staff member just read this book me. She thought it was so cute how the Butterfly tried to find someone who would sing softly to her babies. She liked how the animals helped the Butterfly when she was sad. This smartly illustrated folktale is available at the Gadsden Public Library.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enchanting tale for young kids.

[Peacegal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very strange, and not in a good way.

I also wasn't terribly pleased with the idea that marriage is just about producing children, which was Miss Butterfly's criteria for choosing a husband.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this pretty weird, to be honest. And I like weird. This was a different weird. Not sure about this one- although I am told that allegedly kids like it read to them.