#requested books

[picturebookshelf]

Mouse Tales (1972)

Story and Art: Arnold Lobel

[picturebookshelf]

probably an odd question, but have you come across a childrens book made at max in 2011 that featured indigenous characters where a woman turned into a butterfly? its haunting my dreams recently.

You certainly know how to pose a challenge, anon... I really did hunt as thoroughly as I could and I couldn't find anything that quite fit the bill. It's tricky... since the conclusion of the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2015 there's been a way bigger push to get indigenous own-voice stories out there, but I'm not as familiar with the ones that came out before that. Since a lot of indigenous stories that came out before that were from small or independent publications, they can be hard to find. Do you have any idea what nation or part of the world the story is from? That would help narrow things down, especially since I'm most familiar with Canadian indigenous stories, and those from my region even more so. Here's a few possibilities I could find, but none quite fit the description you've laid out...

The Caterpillar Woman (2016) by Nadia Sammurtok & Carolyn Gan (Inuit). It's probably not this one, since she turns into a caterpillar rather than a full butterfly and the publication date is wrong but I thought I'd at least mention it just in case. The art is pretty and I could see how it could haunt someone's memories.

Little Butterfly Girl (2013) by Jenny Restoule Mallozzi & Donald Chretien. (Ojibwe) Again, wrong publication date, but this one would definitely have the potential to be haunting. A metaphor for residential schools rather than a literal transformation.

Grizzly's Home and Other Northwest Coast Children's Stories (2005) by Robert James Challenger (Salish, not own-voice). I can't find any details about it, but one of the included stories is "Butterfly's Journey"? Might be something?

The Prince of Butterflies (2002) by Bruce Coville & John Clapp. Not indigenous, but the publication would be in the bounds, the vibes are kinda right, and man I can see how that art would stick with you.

Ghost Wings (2001) by Barbara M Joosse & Giselle Potter. Based around Day of the Dead, I don't believe the author is indigenous. Grandmother doesn't literally turn into a butterfly but it's used as a metaphor for loss.

[picturebookshelf]

I'm pretty sure I had that dragonology book at some point in the last few years.

Have you ever seen this book?

It was written in 2003

I hadn't heard of that one, but I was able to find it on the Internet Archive! at just a quick browse, it look like it'd be a pretty interesting read, more of an actual nonfiction look at how wizards have been portrayed in history/media compared to the predominantly fictional Dragonology/Wizardology/etc

The Book of Wizards: A Magical History (2001)

Text: Tim Dedopulos -- Art: assorted

[picturebookshelf]

Comment les pieuvres se préparent pour l'école (2024)

Story: Becky Scharnhorst -- Art: Jaclyn Sinquett

[picturebookshelf]

Hello, Crabby (2019)

Sorry and Art: Jonathan Fenske

[picturebookshelf]

Hi! I just found your blog and i'm in love! Been scrolling through it for a good hour now 😅 I was wondering if you could help me find my holy grail book. Here goes nothing: I borrowed a book about witches when I was about 10 or 11 (2005-2006) and i can recall it being large in size and filled with an encyclopaedic 'knowledge' about witches and stunning handdrawn illustrations. I recall a full spread illustration of a group of old and gnarly witches joyously flying through the air on broomsticks...naked, with flabby bits all over! Quite a humorous sight and that forever left an impression on me. It talked about all the nitty gritty, about witches husbands etc...

I have been looking all over for this book but have never, ever, found it anywhere... almost to the point i wonder if i imagined it... Does it sound like anything you've encountered?

I'm glad you've been enjoying the blog, I appreciate that! delights me to know that other people are enjoying it (❁´◡`❁) I'm admittedly biased, but I love scrolling through a bunch of nice book illustrations

This book isn't ringing any specific bells for me... it made me think a bit of Brian Froud's artbooks, how it's set up like a "field guide" of a mythical creatures and he tends to not shy away from nudity in depicting his subjects, but I checked goodreads and it looks like he mostly does fairies and goblins and the like.

From some googling, the most promising option I came across was The Coffee Table Book of Witchcraft and Demonology by Paul Huson, published in 1973, so it's the sort of thing that might have been kicking around the back corner of a public library in 2005 (though probably not a school library) and it seems leans heavily into the encyclopedic side of things