This book review includes affiliate links for your shopping convenience; we make a small commission at no cost to you that helps to keep this little blog running. The book was provided to us for free by the author, but all opinions here are our own because if I could get my kids to think what I want them to, I’d be a millionaire. 😉
Kai the Dancing Butterfly is a picture book that introduces the Purple Crow butterfly migration through the sweet story of two butterfly sisters who need to make a long journey across Taiwan to dance in the Winter Festival dance show. Along the way, they stop to rest at various landmarks, learning regional dances and meeting new friends. It’s an interesting mix of realistic places and whimsical characters, featuring both talking animals and people in the illustrations. Thank you, Ms. Lee, for sharing this book with us!
Natasha’s Thoughts
We are always up for learning about other cultures, so Kai the Dancing Butterfly was right up our alley. I especially liked how the butterflies’ outfits changed to reflect each region they visited. As we read the story, I found myself wishing that it went more in-depth into each of the locations, but then I discovered the rich back matter, including an author’s note and detailed glossary that provided plenty of additional information about both the landmarks and the Purple Crow butterfly migration. This was probably a wise move considering the attention spans of the young kids who are most likely to be reading or listening to this story. My six-year-old son was particularly curious about each of the landmarks and is on a mission to find a book about Taiwan on our next library visit. Meanwhile, I am quite familiar with the monarch butterfly migration but have never heard of the Purple Crow migration, so I did a quick bit of additional research myself. (Check out this Smithsonian Magazine article about the butterfly migration.)
I would recommend this book to preschool through about second grade, but older readers will also appreciate the addition of the information in the back matter.
Eliana’s Thoughts
I like this book because a butterfly named Kai and her sister Ami go to different places in Taiwan and they go on a journey from the northern tip of the island to Maolin in the south. The illustrations represent real places. Kai learns from Ami how to dance. This book shows me that you can do anything, no matter what or who you are. I would recommend this book to people who are having a hard time believing in themselves.
Connor’s Thoughts
I think it was fun because they joined a lot of different real places and Kai learned how to dance. I wish I could go to all those places. I also like how they met new friends. I would recommend this book to all people.