Moth in a Fancy Cardigan

by Charlotte Lance, David Booth (Illustrator)

This is the story of Gary Grey Moth who desperately wants to be seen and Florence Butterfly who has had enough of being noticed. What would happen if they swapped cardigans and could each be the bug they always wanted to be?

This fast-paced and perceptive story is about expectations and identity, told from the unlikely but utterly relatable perspectives of a moth and a butterfly. They're not so different, if you really think about it.
From Melbourne-based author Charlotte Lance and internationally renowned artist David Booth (also known as Ghostpatrol), comes this humorous, insightful coming-of-age junior fiction novel, illustrated in 2/c throughout.

"Perspective is everything in this illustrated chapter book, which revolves around two insects who couldn’t be more different....Booth’s grayscale doodles, accented with yellow, are the perfect complement for this quirky celebration of self-expression." Booklist

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade

136 pages, Hardcover

Published July 4, 2023

About the author

Charlotte Lance is a Melbourne-based author/ illustrator who loves creating stories within stories. As the mother of three wild boys she often draws on her everyday life for inspiration and hilarity. She also has the uncanny knack of creating scenes that truly come to life.

Reviews

[Amelia O'Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fitting in is not the same as being yourself. If the cardigan doesn't fit, take it off. Let your true colours shine."

Charlotte Lance's story of Gary the Grey Moth is so sweet and the illustrations by one of my favourite artists David Booth (Ghost Patrol) are to die for.

Gary is a grey moth and his whole life is grey. He doesn't like going to school and he is especially jealous of the brightly coloured, sparkling butterflies. Then he bumps into Florence the butterfly who doesn't live up to her mum's expectations of what a butterfly should be. But most importantly he bumps into Florence's very fancy cardigan.

Gary learns a lot about himself in colour and Florence learns a lot about herself in grey and together they learn a lot about being themselves.

A fantastic young readers book with a sweet, uplifting theme. Highly recommend!

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary is a gray moth. His family are all gray moths. They wear gray clothing. They live in a gray house. They blend into the background. Gary is used to people overlooking him. He wishes he could be more like the colorful butterflies at his school. They are flashy and fancy with their glittering cardigans. Everyone notices the butterflies.

Florence is a butterfly, but she feels trapped with all the expectations to be perfect and graceful all the time. She longs for the safety of gray, the quiet of a bland day, or the possibilities that exist when not everything is colored in for you.

One day, Florence and Gary cross paths. Florence misplaces her glittering cardigan, and Gary picks it up. Will they keep fighting their true identities, or find that there is a place in their lives for both gray and glitter?

I loved this sweet book! The positive messages about being your true self are really inspiring. I really loved that this message can be applied to anything and anyone who is feeling social pressure to act or dress a certain way that is not a reflection of their true personality. If you are messy or clumsy, that is okay. If you are quiet or talkative, that is okay. If you are creative or analytical or forgetful or grumpy or calm or excitable or whatever you are, that is okay.

The insect world is a very interesting setting, with spiders, bees, caterpillars, mosquitos, ladybugs, and all kinds of insects interacting. They go to school and work, and eat jam sandwiches. They have old family photo albums, and apparently they know who Elvis is. It's such a funny insect world!

The writing is hilarious and thoughtful by turns. I enjoyed how we get to see the story from both Gary's and Florence's points of view. There are chapters told by Gary and then chapters told by Florence. However, at the end it jumps between their POVs much more quickly, and that got frustrating.

I liked the cute illustrations of all the adorable insects! The art really does a good job of contrasting the colorful butterflies against the gray moths and other less-colorful insects. It highlights the messages of the story in a delightful way!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads review: Gary the moth yearns for more than the dull drab gray life he lives. With his boring gray cardigan, he is barely noticeable in his classroom. Florence the butterfly yearns for less than the shiny, center of attention life she lives. When Gary finds Florence's cardigan he realizes he can be more than a drab gray moth and Florence learns that she doesn’t always have to be quite so shiny. A sweet story about learning to be yourself.

[Zahraa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice book

[Julie Gaunky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, whimsical, and full of joy, this book expertly shows readers how we all deserve to move through the world as our most authentic selves.

[Ezra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover art and the title (the title is so fun to say, I think) are utterly whimsical and delightful and really what drew me in more than anything.

This is a nice short story about a grey moth, Gary, and a butterfly, Florence, struggling under the expectations set upon them by society and wanting to break free of those rules. It's very cute and the art pairs well with the text and the moral of the story is one that never hurts to hear: "Fitting in is not the same as being yourself. If the cardigan doesn't fit, take it off. Let your true colors shine."

I personally found it to be a bit disappointing on the whole though. It was a bit boring for my taste considering the artwork and that it's about walking, talking school aged bugs.

Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!