Review of Where Butterflies Fill the Sky by Zahra Marwan

Authors

Justin Kemp, jkemp284@cedarville.eduFollow

Publisher

Bloomsbury Children's Books

City

New York, New York, United States of America

Date of Publication

2022

ISBN

9781547606511

Date of Review

2023

Disciplines

Children's and Young Adult Literature | Library and Information Science | Near and Middle Eastern Studies

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews, Kuwait, immigration

Review

In a desert country next to the sea, a young girl describes her idyllic life—being with her family, playing on the beach, and watching the butterflies. Then something happens that she does not quite understand, and her family is forced to move across the sea to a different desert. She has to leave some of her family behind and plays in the forest now, and balloons now fill the sky instead of butterflies. However, the little girl finds home here despite missing the place she was born. The story is sad yet hopeful, and portions of the text mirror each other, showing how the character feels as her home changes. The author gives context to the true story behind her book and describes her process for creating the beautiful pastel hued illustrations. This would be a great resource for helping children work through the difficulties of change, reminding them to value their heritage while finding excitement in new opportunities. Recommended Justin Kemp, Cedarville Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Kemp, Justin, "Review of Where Butterflies Fill the Sky by Zahra Marwan" (2023). Library Intern Book Reviews. 388.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/388

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