Reviewed by Jennie More for Readers’ Favorite

The Butterfly Pig by Mary Jenner is the story of a little pig, Billie, who was born with butterfly wings. Billie didn’t fit in with his pig friends because he didn’t enjoy playing in the mud and dirtying his wings, and they thought he was cheating when he would fly over the obstacles when they raced. But Billie had one good friend, Pip, who loved playing with Billie and chasing him through the forest. One day, Billie saw a river of butterflies and decided to fly away with them. As much as Billie enjoyed the sights, flying tired him, but there was no way to rest, and he didn’t eat what the butterflies were eating. When Billie lost energy, his wings stopped flapping. Luckily, a flying dog saved him and took him to a jungle where he met other animals as diverse as himself.

The Butterfly Pig by Mary Jenner is a beautifully written and illustrated story for children teaching them about embracing friends who come from diverse origins. I love the idea of the pig with the butterfly wings. I think it is unique, and children would find it delightful and intriguing. The story is effective in helping children to grasp the importance of accepting people who are different, people who have different strengths from theirs, and welcoming them into their friendship circles. Children must learn these values of acceptance from the moment they start interacting and engaging with other children. This is a highly relevant story for our times.