This book is quite lovely. It’s a beautiful, heartwarming story of a young girl navigating through the grief of losing her butterfly.
I really enjoyed that this story features the importance of supporting those who may be grieving. Star realizes that while she was under a dark cloud and sad, others may be feeling that way as well. I liked the message that part of the story provided!
I really enjoyed the introduction of the horse for Star. The connection of these two is beautiful, and truly is a match made in Heaven! Check out my interview with the author to see the meaning behind that!
I would definitely recommend this book for young readers! It’s beautifully illustrated and has a wonderful message!
Where to Find This Book:
This is the heartwarming story of one little girl’s journey through grief. After losing her best friend—a butterfly named Twinkle—Star must search to rediscover her sunshine. The loss of Twinkle has kept Star under a dark cloud for some time, but her journey towards betterment will touch the hearts of all readers! Star is amazed to discover that she can reclaim her own sunshine by helping others who are also stuck under a dark cloud of their own! And she’ll realize that her light is even brighter than before! Star’s love for Twinkle—and her pony, Luna—will show readers the beauty, joy, and healing power that animals can bring to our lives! Her journey will remind us that there is something beautiful to see when we take a moment to “always look up!”
Just the Facts:
Butterfly Love from Above by Melissa Stuart
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Performance Publishing Group
Pub Date: April 2022
SJLB Asked: Do you have another profession besides writing?
Melissa Answered: I was in the Fitness Industry for 15 years. When my back ruptured, and I had to spend the next two years having spinal surgeries, I no longer could teach classes. Writing became my new passion and writing this book was so therapeutic for me during the hardest time in my life.
SJLB Asked: What inspired you to start writing?
Melissa Answered: I remember I used to love writing when I was a young girl and used to write little stories and then tape the sides to make it look like a book. I wanted to perform in plays and write even in my teen years. But than life took me in a different direction. I was so into my fitness career and got married to a pro hockey player, so we moved around all the time. Add 3 kids to the mix, and there was no time for anything else. Those dreams faded and I honestly hadn’t thought about writing in forever. After my back injuries and surgeries, for the first time in 20 years I was forced to slow down and once again I felt the nudge to write. I felt the story playing out in front of me in real life. I was meant to write!
SJLB Asked: What made you write a book about butterflies and horses?
Melissa Answered: After my grandmother passed away, yellow butterflies always seemed to appear when I was horseback riding. After my back surgeries I was no longer able to ride, but my little girl caught the horse bug and I noticed yellow butterflies appear many times when she would ride! That’s how I came up with the title for my book Butterfly Love From Above!
SJLB Asked: As a mother and a writer, how do you balance your time?
Melissa Answered: It took me 5 months to write this book. With 3 kids, the only way to do it for me was in the mornings when they were at school. I always tried to make it a priority to set aside an hour a day to write in a quiet space in my room.
SJLB Asked: In your book you state that the pony Luna and the little girl Star are a match made in heaven. Can you explain?
Melissa Answered: When we bought Luna, she was already named by her previous owner. Her name means moon and my little girl’s name is Stella, which means star! I felt like it was a match made in heaven and she was meant to be ours!
Melissa Stuart lives in Los Angeles, California with her family, their English Mastiff, Gucci, and their pony, Luna! Melissa and her husband stay busy traveling all over the country with their boys’ hockey teams. She loves being a Hockey Mom and watching her boys chase their dream of following in their dad’s footsteps to play in the NHL! Her happy place is with her little girl, Stella, at the barn surrounded by horses and their precious Luna. Sun Valley, Idaho is her family’s favorite summer getaway destination. When they’re there, Melissa feels most inspired to write sitting by the river, surrounded by mountains and nature! Her dream of becoming a published author for the first time came true in early 2021, as she shared her story “Find Your Sunshine” in a book co-written by 10 other inspiring authors—all of whom were sharing stories about shining their light and becoming difference makers in the world! Melissa hopes this story will inspire children to always look up. She wishes to teach them that true joy comes when we shine our own light and show kindness to others. That’s the secret to finding our sunshine!
Author Links: website ~ facebook ~ instagram
Thank you to IRead Book Tours for having me on this tour! You can see all the bloggers on tour here!
I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.
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