“WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME,” by Kimberley Griffiths Little, Scholastic, $17.99, 327 pages (f) (ages 8-12)
Twelve-year-old Tara Doucet is devastated at the sudden death of her beloved grandmother, Grammy Claire, who leaves the family in a crisis. Tara and her older rebellious sister, Riley, try to manage a tumble-down house where Mamma is in a state of melancholy after their father deserted them for a Hollywood career.
The butterflies appear the day after Grammy Claire’s funeral and respond to Tara’s emotions. The same day a set of keys and clues in her grandmother’s handwriting arrive for Tara. The notes encourage her to follow the clues but “use your head,” “tell no one,” and “be brave.” The secret clues involve the beautiful butterflies or nipwisipwis, which Grammy Claire was determined to save from extinction.
One note with airline tickets attached leads Tara and Riley to the island of Chuuk, where they find Grammy Claire’s science lab and more clues to the beautiful nipwisipwis butterflies.
“When the Butterflies Came” is a mystery treasure hunt of clues laden with magical creatures of beauty. A sub-plot woven throughout is the notion that the extinction of these fragile creatures is possible but there are ways to study and protect them. The description of the ethereal nipwisipwis come right off the page in a “tornado of colors, and butterfly wings spin wildly … their velvet softness, the vibration of magic as they circle and enfold me in their world.”
The author’s details of a sultry island with sandy beaches, grottos and hidden caves that hide the butterflies until dusk add to the intrigue and mystique surrounding Grammy Claire’s scientific studies as a lepidopterist.
Unexpected events and a fulfilling ending will surprise readers as they recall Grammy Claire’s handwritten clues and advice to tell no one about the secrets.
“When the Butterflies Came” is the third novel by Kimberley Griffiths Little set in Bayou Bridge, La., with the Doucet family. Others are “Circle of Secrets” and “The Healing Spell.”
If you go ...
What: Kimberley Griffiths Little book signing
When: Saturday, Aug. 17, 11 a.m.
Where: The King's English, 1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City
Web: kingsenglish.com, www.kimberleygriffithslittle.com
Note: Places in the signing line are reserved for those who purchase the book from The King's English.
Email: marilousorensen@ymail.com