The Rock and the Butterfly

The rock was always there...until, one day, it wasn't.

The rock and the butterfly are a perfect fit. The butterfly takes shelter on the steady rock after hours of flittering and fluttering, and the rock loves to hear of the butterfly's adventures after a long day of sitting in one spot. Then one day the rock isn't where it has always been—and the butterfly is alone. It can't find a comfortable place to rest, and it eventually collapses on the ground. When it wakes, the butterfly realizes that it is lying in the exact spot where the rock used to be, and it takes comfort in all that its beloved friend left behind.

Kathy Stinson has loved reading all her life but was almost thirty when she discovered she loves writing too. She is the author of over thirty books for young people, including the classic Red Is Best and the award-winning The Man with the Violin. When not reading or writing, she enjoys photography, jigsaw puzzles, crosswords and walking her dog in the woods and fields near her home in Rockwood, Ontario.

Brooke Kerrigan has loved drawing ever since she was a little girl, so it seemed only natural that she would grow up to be an artist. Of all her creative endeavors, illustrating children's books is her favorite. Brooke has illustrated more than ten picture books, including the award-winning Wee Boo and the Blue Spruce Award nominee A Plan for Pops. Born in Toronto, she currently lives with her husband in the French Alps.

ISBN: 9781459837003
Format: Hardback
Pages: 32
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: October 15, 2024

“Kerrigan’s artwork complements Stinson’s simple, lyrical text, depicting the rock’s solidity while adding motion lines around the butterfly’s vibrant wings. This gentle metaphor for loss will sooth children grappling with grief. It’s a poetic, attractive package that will lull youngsters at bedtime but might also stimulate conversation. A moving, thoughtful meditation on life and loss.”