Shatokhin, Oleksandr. Yellow Butterfly: a Story From Ukraine. Oleksandr Shatokhin, Illus. Red Comet, 01/2023. 72pp. Picture Book. GRADES 3 – 8. $21.99. 978-1-63655-064-0. OUTSTANDING.
A powerful, wordless book by a Ukrainian artist explores both the horror of war and the belief in a brighter future from the dream-like perspective of a young girl. Frightened by a gigantic black spider that emerges from a barbed wire fence, she follows one and then many yellow butterflies as a bomb crater transforms into a playground, a missile into a blossoming tree, and a dark foreboding city into a place where the sun shines again. Strong b&w line drawings give way to yellow butterflies and blue sky (the colors of the Ukrainian flag), making a compelling statement about the resilience of the Ukrainian people. Although there is no explicit violence, the stark depictions of a war-torn land make this a book best shared one-on-one with time for discussion. Endnotes offer helpful tips on how to share wordless picture books and guide conversations on difficult subjects; a quote from the author and a brief bio offer additional insights into the story.
Jenny Andrus—Independent