And... by Philippe Jalbert

A magnificently illustrated cautionary tale for young children from clever French author/illustrator Philippe Jalbert. We are put in the position of the mother of a young child who is about to touch a butterfly. Having said “NO” she then goes into what the consequences of touching it might be. Readers will delight in the possibilities of this story as each part unfolds before their eyes in superbly, graphic illustrations of each escalating calamity. The drama of each mishap is enhanced by the close-up illustrations of on each page. Jalbert includes some interesting animals that are affected in this tale - a dung beetle, a mole, a bear, and then a whole circus troupe! Classes could use this as a springboard to explore different consequences, using different characters and change the story to suit themselves.

According to the publisher this is a way of introducing young children to the chaos theory of the butterfly effect. The butterfly effect is the idea that a small change can make much bigger changes happen; one small incident can have a big impact on the future. The term is associated with the work of mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz.This may provide some interesting research for older students as well.

Themes: Parental behaviour, Butterflies, Cause and effect, Cautionary tales.

Gabrielle Anderson