Pistes d'exploration

Discuss the story. How do you think Monique managed to keep the secret of Severine? Do you think it was hard to do so? Why/Why not? Why do you think the book is called The Butterfly?

Write the next part of the story for one of the girls in the book.

Conduct research and find out about the role of the Resistance in World War II. Make a short slide presentation to share what you have learned.

Identify the important elements of the story. Create a timeline of the events.

Research World War II and the role of the Resistance.

Research other current events where children and families need to be protected. Write a newspaper article about these events.

View teacher-selected Holocaust-related movie excerpts. Pause during the viewing to discuss your understanding.

Draw the hidden room as you imagine it, based on the clues. Write a short text to describe it.

Write a sequel to the story, 30 years into the future.

We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures, Unspoken: A Story From the Underground Railroad, Hana's Suitcase, Mrs. Marlowe's Mice, Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War

Mots-clés

Picture book , courage , France , friendship , Holocaust , resilience , survival , World War II

Commentaire descriptif

The language in this dense story conveys dark and complex material through the eyes of a young protagonist. Monique is frightened, then curious, about “the little ghost” she sees in her room—the daughter of the family her mother is hiding from the Nazis. Dramatic illustrations in pencil, watercolour and marker portray the girls’ night visits together. Shadows from Monique’s bedroom window are cast over their games. She brings a butterfly to Severine, but the joy on the girls’ faces as they release it to the night turns to huddling fear when they see someone spying on them. Coats and scarves fly as the family rushes to escape. Catholic and Jewish prayers mix: “God be with us this night!” Readers will understand the true scale of Nazi crimes when Monique, after sending off Severine’s family to an uncertain fate, watches a sad crowd on the train platform: “On the girl’s coat was a yellow Star of David.… It wasn’t Severine. But it could have been.” The story ends on a note of hope, while the book’s dedication and author’s note explain the true-life inspiration for this book.