The Social Butterfly

Little Boost

by Beth Bracken, Sofia Cardoso (Illustrator)

This is an alternate Cover Edition for ISBN13: 9781515816973.

Charlotte loves talking, singing, and playing. What Charlotte doesn’t love is sitting still, being quiet, and listening, which is a big problem at school. Charlotte's overly social ways interfere with her friendships and her learning. Will Charlotte be able to modify her behavior and learn when to be social and when to be quiet? A sweet and relatable picture book story that shines a light on social behaviors.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2018

About the author

Beth Bracken is a children's book editor. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, Steve, and their son, Sam. When she's not reading, writing, or editing books, Beth spends most of her time knitting endlessly while watching reruns of old TV shows and drinking lots of tea.

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Social Butterfly just broke my cute-meter! It's such a lovely picture book with a great message and the sweetest illustrations.

Charlotte is a gorgeous purple butterfly who makes new friends everywhere she goes. She loves talking, singing and telling jokes, and she also loves school. When her constant chattering one day results in her friends missing out on eating lunch, not being able to concentrate on reading or their maths worksheet in class, or not hearing something important their teacher Miss Flora says, they each get upset with Charlotte. Charlotte talks to Miss Flora about her fears that her friends don't like her anymore. Will Charlotte take Miss Flora's advice?

This book has a great message for all of the young social butterflies out there about learning when it is appropriate to talk, laugh and play with your friends and when you need to be quiet and pay attention.

The writing style was engaging and the illustrations were adorable! The layout has been well thought out and the font choice complements the soft colour palette of the illustrations. The childrens' expressions leave no room for confusion regarding what they're feeling and the children themselves are simply the cutest little insects ever! The backgrounds are detailed and I loved the attention to detail. I especially loved Miss Flora's chipped upside down teacup table.

After reading this book I had convinced myself I wanted to live in a mushroom and be friends with Charlotte. I think I want to be a butterfly as well but since my favourite colour is already taken, I may have to be blue instead.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. This book would make a fantastic bedtime story and I'd also love to see it in schools and libraries. I'd enjoy reading this book over and over. Charlotte now has a place in my heart.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte is a lovable character with a lot of friends. She is very sociable and loves to talk. When this interferes with her friend's learning, they start to ignore her and Charlotte gets upset. When she realizes that there is a time to talk and a time to be quiet and listen, all is well. I loved this character as she reminded me of my daughter. Her teachers always said that she finished her work quickly, then would not stop talking to others, even when they moved her desk beside their own, she just talked to them. The pictures were adorable with whimsical characters, a nice colour palette and great expression. What a great book to share with those "Social Butterflies" in your life whether at home or in the classroom. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably the book I needed when I was a Child. Charlotte is a chatterbox. She likes to talk, laugh, and tell jokes. But when you do that during class, you miss things, like when you need to bring stuff for show and tell. Plus your friends don’t like forgetting to eat their lunch, or not getting their work done be cause you are too busy talking. A nice lesson with fabulous fairy illustrations.

[Carrie Sprys · Rating 5 out of 5]

This whimsical story made me smile from the beginning. Charlotte is a precocious little girl who is friendly and outgoing to both friends and strangers alike. She enjoys talking with everyone. Her problem is that she has not learned there is a time for talking and a time to be quiet and listen. This affect her most especially in her classroom at school. She constantly chatters to her friends during the day, creating a distraction to everyone’s learning abilities. After a difficult day at school due to her incessant talking, the teacher explains to Charlotte how her actions affect others, providing the nudge needed to reassess her behavior. The author brings life to this common occurrence among young children through her wonderful story and incredible illustrations. The colors create a vivid background that any child could imagine themselves fitting nicely in the story.

I received this advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Natille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book free through NetGalley and publisher\author for a unbiased review.
This book is just so adorable. I love that it teaches about being overly chatty and how it presents problems. My son enjoys me reading this to him. He is autistic and does have the problem of understanding personal space and how speaking too much can be a problem, but I think this book is helping him understand. We get to certain parts and he will repeat the words and it's like a light has come on that previously before he never noticed or understood. I think this is a wonderful way for children to learn about behaviors that come off rather strong and unsettling for others. It will make a lovely addition to our nightly readings. If you have a little one that talks excessively and you don't know what to do, I definitely recommend adding this to your book routine.

[Beth ~Book Loving Is My Superpower~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little nugget of cuteness is a moral (about when being a chatty kid is okay and when you need to zip it) wrapped in a gorgeously illustrated foil. The crux of the story is easily discernible and my 8 year old liked it but didn't love it (except for the beautifully colorful pictures). Now to be fair, my 8 year old and I are probably outside the sought after demographic BUT we can see the appeal for those circling around Kindergartners age.

Overall:

This one is cute cute cute but definitely has a specific age target and sadly, my little one is no longer little enough to eat this one up. That being said, ultimately this read is a gem, especially for those Littles that don't mind a story smacking you in the face with a blatant moral.

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

*** I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*thank you to Capstone Publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.
A very good message comes with this story. Charlotte is a little social butterfly who wants it to be play time ALL the time. She ends up thinking her friends dont like her any more, but soon learns that while its great to be sociable, there is a time and place for it. This book teaches children when its ok to be just hanging out with friends and having fun and when play time is over and other things need doing.

This beautifully illustrated childrens book is a work of art. There are so many details in the illustrations and they are all so bright and colourful, they are hard to resist. They are so eye catching and are sure to delight small children (and the older ones).

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I always look at the pictures of a book to see if it would keep a child's attention and no doubt this book will do this that.. Charlotte is a social butterfly. She loves her friends and love to talk and play with them but not always at the right time. I like this book doesn't make Charlotte feel bad because she is doing something wrong. The teacher just simply has a chat with her on how to do it diffently.. It will help a small child learn when it is the right time to talk to friends during the school day and when we need to pay attention to the teacher. Age group would be 4-8

[Anni Welborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bright, colorful book will help young chatterboxes learn how to tame the desire to talk so much! Charlotte (a gorgeous purple butterfly with a bright yellow dress) loves to talk with all her friends. However, she finds out that sometimes her loquacious ways can be hindrances rather than helps. Charlotte learns how to still socialize without being a distraction to those around her.

I really loved the cheerful, textured illustrations! There was so much to look at in each picture, I spent almost an hour just turning the pages again and again.

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest book I have read with my daughter this year so far! This story touched on most of the issues little kindergarten and first graders tend to deal with. They get excited about their friends and sometimes they don't think about what it's like for the people around them.The illustrations were very colorful and cute. I recommend this book to teachers or even parents that have little one's that are starting school for the very first time.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia Marshall eckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this charming book with my children on their tablet and they had wonderful things to say. My oldest child is a bit too sociable at inappropriate times as well so she related to Charlotte and picked up on the meaning of the story. They all came away learning something important from the book, which is ideal. However, they all agreed that the best part of the book was the beautiful, vibrant illustrations. Wonderful book!!
Thank you NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes being a good friend means NOT talking to your friends ... like when they’re trying to do their math or read their book at school. Charlotte loves school, but she also loves talking to her friends. So much so that they don’t even have time to finish their lunch. So when her friends ask her not to talk to them the next day, she thinks they don’t like her anymore. That’s when her teacher, Miss Flora, gently explains why it’s important not to talk so much during school.

A necessary addition to the school library to help start a discussion in this area.

[Richelle Zirkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an acknowledged chatterbox all through elementary school, I could relate to Charlotte. This adorable book does a sweet job of showing why Charlotte is distracting to others and kindly shows her that she can have the best of both worlds--learning and talking to her friends. The pictures are lovely with tons of detail and great use of color without being overwhelming. This is a good book that should appeal to the 3+ group.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte has a hard time knowing when it's time to socialize and when she should maybe be doing something else (like concentrating, or eating).
This book is all about her dilemma.
There are not a whole lot of picture books with this subject, even though there are a lot of kids who have this issue.
A cute little story with adorable illustrations. Good for parents to read at home along with their kids.

[Muriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of kids love to talk and don't anyways choose to do so when appropriate. This is an easily relatable tale of a girl that loves to talk to her friends but does so at school while they are learning. After her friends and her miss some of their work and eating their lunch, the social butterfly has to learn when to talk and when to focus on learning. The illustrations are whimsical and colorful. Perfect gift for an elementary aged loquacious kid.

[Dana Storytime Account · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute book! I feel like I love this book because I sort of identify with Charlotte. I was torn about the images at times though, part of me felt there was a little too much going on in the pictures but the other part of me liked how much stuff there was in the background because that gives you a good way to do a picture walk or go more in to what's happening outside of the story. I think it works out in this case because the actual text of the book remains fairly simple

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story about a little butterfly who learns that there is a time and place for everything! I loved that it is age appropriate as youngsters just starting school are still ego-centric and are learning that everyone has their own pace with learning. Just because you finished quicker than your friend, doesn't give you the right to interrupt someone else's learning. I have a four year old, and this is a great lesson for her to learn as she enters her second year of preschool.

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I think they wrote this book about me and or my son! I think any parent who has a child who gets in trouble for talking too much will treasure this book . I wish this book had been available when my son was in 1st grade and getting into trouble for talking and singing too much. I will be ordering this for the library and recommending to parents!

[Jenny Houle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for a chance to read this book and offer an unbiased review.

Perfect for the little chatterbox in any family, this book is full of beautifully colorful illustrations. It is a great way to remind little ones that there is a time for focus and a time for play and there can be a very even balance.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean, just adorable, really detailed illustrations (the titular character is a literal butterfly, living in the bug world -- meaning lots of adorable toadstool buildings) and a simple, understandable message re: talking too much and not listening to what your friends need.

[Ms. Charlier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whimsical illustrations that will keep readers engaged with a simple plot and a clear lesson to be learned. I can think of many social students who this book would interest and apply to!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally relatable story about a social buterfly who just wants to talk with her friends, even after missing directions from the teacher and even LUNCH! Great for storytime about listening.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated book about a little fairy who loves talking to her friends- sometimes a little too much. This is really warm and positive, and not too overly didactic for a message book.

[Jeff Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for the little one who likes to chat a little too much instead of listening and trying to address that issue in school.

[Dolores Stratford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute, busy illustrations. Lots to look at. Great story of how your actions effect others even when you have the best intentions.

[Liz Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. Great lesson on distracting others by talking to them too much.

[Valencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute! I liked the illustrations and the "inside" jokes about bugs. There was a good message too.

[Adella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!!

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet book for the preschool set and kindergarten. We all know those kids who just can't stop talking and have a need to be surrounded by friends. Charlotte is just that kind of friend. Unfortunately, she is young and doesn't always know when she needs to reign it in.

Beth Bracken does a good job of getting the message across that when you are in school, you have to focus on school work. Charlotte understands that just because you have finished your work doesn't mean that everyone else has, and it is important to allow them to have a quiet space to get things done. She unfortunately has to learn this message the hard way when he friends stop talking to her, but sometimes that is reality.

The book has beautiful images that will help make it great as a read-aloud in the classroom. The bright colors and whimsical bugs lure a child in. There is also something nice about the fact that all of the characters represent a diverse array of bugs to gently also push a multicultural theme. While a tad didactic at times, if you can get kids to sit still and listen to this story, it can be worth the time.