Adios Oscar!: a butterfly fable by Peter Elwell

Oscar is a caterpillar with big plans to turn into a butterfly and head to Mexico.  His caterpillar friends don’t believe that they will ever turn into butterflies, but Edna the bookworm takes him to a library for bugs where he learns about butterflies and caterpillars.  Oscar also learns that they speak Spanish in Mexico, so he sets out to learn the language.  Soon Oscar is ready to build his cocoon and transform.  He has dreams of monarch butterflies but when he emerges he finds that he is a moth instead!  He is expected to fly around lightbulbs and eat socks, not fly to Mexico.  What is a small gray moth supposed to do with his bright sunny Mexico dreams?

This book is a great blend of factual information on butterflies and caterpillars and a story about one’s dreams and reality.  Elwell has married the two divergent subjects into a nicely cohesive book.  His illustrations are a large part of the book’s success, offering a silly, fresh feel.  As a reader, I was pleasantly surprised by the twist of Oscar being a moth and the choice that he faces about expectations for moths and his own dreams. 

Appropriate for ages 3-6, this book is a great addition to a butterfly unit or story time and will offer a discussion opportunity about everyone’s dreams.