Butterfly Boy

Every sunny afternoon, Emilio wheels his grandfather outside to watch the butterflies. Emilio's grandfather can no longer speak, but Emilio can see happiness in the older man's eyes as he watches butterflies dance through the air. But one day the butterflies fly away. Can Emilio bring them back and make his grandfather smile with more than just his eyes? Virginia Kroll's beautiful story is written with love and is magically illustrated by Gerardo Suzán.

Virginia's name is familiar to readers of children's periodicals---she had published more than 1,400 articles and stories for magazines such as Wee Wisdom, Turtle, The Dolphin Log, and Highlights for Children. But magazines are just the beginning. In 1992 Virginia published a trio of picture books, including Helen the Fish and My Sister, Then and Now. Her book Masai and I arrived on 1992 best-book list in Publishers Weekly, Smithsonian, and Book Links. She now has more than fifteen books scheduled for publication with Macmillan, Henry Holt, and Little, Brown, among others. With six active children and a lively granddaughter, Virginia has inspiration close at hand. She has spent much of her working life as a teacher, and now serves as a writing instructor at Medaille College. "Kids are so important in my life," says Virginia. "I've never been without them. They're responsive, receptive readers, and that's the kind of ausience I like.