“The Bison and the Butterfly” is a perfect book for Earth Day or any day you want to learn more about how ecosystems work. Bison is feeling lonely and is looking to make a new friend. As she tramples through the forest she meets a host of creatures that appreciate everything she does for them (even when she poops!). When Bison meets a lonely butterfly, she realizes she can help Butterfly learn the ways of the forest even though they explore it in very different ways.

Bison, it turns out, is from Europe. The reader learns at the back of the book that American Bison dwell primarily on the plains, but European Bison tend to live in the woodlands. The illustrations are in a lovely earth tone palette. This is a very gentle story about ecosystems and how they work.

Classroom considerations: This would be fun as a stimulus text when learning about ecosystems. Students could hear this story, then create their own with a local native species.

This book is great for kids who are interested in science and nature.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a sweet and unique story about friendship with beautiful illustrations! My six year old really liked how kind the Bison was to all of the different animals she met and how she was welcoming of everyone. The story was also a nice, age appropriate lesson on our ecosystem and the ways we help each other out without even realizing it.

This book has such a cute art style and I loved how Bison could just be herself while trying to find friendship. She meets some interesting animals along the way and we are taught how each part of the ecosystem depends on other parts for survival. I even enjoyed that the last few pages has facts to teach young minds.

One thing I would suggest is to make the font bigger, especially as kids are attempting to read this and practice their reading skills.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Kids | Ivy Kids Eco, and Alice Hemming for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a great story about making friends and how little things one animals does can help another animal.
I enjoyed seeing Bison interact with all the other animals and seeing how they helped each other.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a delightful and unique story about friendship with breathtaking illustrations! As an adult, I was touched by the sentiment that each friendship we have serves a unique function in our lives. Kids will learn this lesson as well as a lesson on our ecosystem and the ways we help each other out without even realizing it!
This book earns 5 glowing stars and a permanent place on our family’s bookshelf!

Wow! A butterfly and a bison the two most unlikely friends turned into such a great informational tale!
As a teacher, I look for so many ways to bring nonfiction to them in a fiction way and this does it perfectly! I love that it honed in on how one species helps the many. That is a concept that so many of my students struggle with and I think showing them a book that is playful yet informative will help them make those connections better.

Things I loved:
1. The illustrations! - The illustrations are bright and colorful. This immediately attracted my attention so I know it will do the same for little readers!

2. The everyone helps each other aspect. - I loved learning how the bison helps not only from what we know with humans in the past, but how they help their woodlands environment.

3. The conservation! - I loved that at the back of the book it shows readers the differences between the European Buffalo and the American Bison. I had no idea about a lot of that! Not only that, but there is a how to help bring back the bison population and why it’s so important to that ecosystem.

All in all, this book has my stamp of approval for little readers and classrooms!

Our little Bison needs a friend, what lessons will she encounter along the way?

I’m always excited to find new and beautiful books to read to my little and this one meets those categories. I’m always drawn to the adorable nature themed books that also provide simple life lessons. This one is about a bison who is looking for a friend and encounters several other critters and animals of the forest who share how they all help each other out in one way or another. A simple lesson of how our actions have cause and effect that can benefit others, small little acts that you may not think have much impact can have impact on others. M

I did have a little giggle at the dung beetle part as it took me by surprise but it does make sense plus, everybody poops!

Thank you NetGalley and Quatro Publishing Group for giving me the opportunity to review this delightful book.

Absolutely gorgeous tale about friendship and how you can find friends in unlikely places. The story filled me with joy as I read and saw the different ways Bison was helping other creatures by just being herself. Thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing this opportunity to read

A cute story about a bison that feels lonely making friends with a butterfly. The butterfly is able to take the bison on an adventure and then back to his herd. The illustrations were delightful. I liked at the end how it talked about brining back the bison and the wildlife trust.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Taylor Swifts new album on repeat, reading the boys some new kids books I got advanced copies of, and the sun is shining….a happy Friday in my book! ☀️📚🎶

These books were so cute! I can’t wait to show my daughter the bug book as she’s been really interested in ladybugs lately. The Happy Stories for Animal Lovers was absolutely adorable! It was full of such beautiful illustrations and fun facts about animals. The Pond and the Park was a really adorable story about friendships. Respect the Insect book was very interesting to my son who has been hesitant with flies coming inside. Hee hee. He always really enjoyed Little People Big Dreams about Stan Lee and comics. My daughter is going to love Gabriel’s Toothfairy Tale as she’s been waiting anxiously for her tooth to fall out. Torla and Smorla was a really cute book my younger song loved. The Bison and the Butterfly was precious! Add these books to your kids summer TBR lists for summer reading programs. Thank you @netgalley for these advance copies!

The Bison and the Butterly by Alice Hemming comes out August 5

Happy Stories for Animal Lovers by Leisa-Stewart Sharpe comes out July 1

Little People Big Dreams Stan Lee by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara comes out July 1

Gabriel’s Tooth Fairy Tale by Sharon Leya comes out February 27

The Children’s Book of Wildlife Watching by Dan Rouse comes out May 13

Torla and Smorla and the Lower Than Average Cloud by Kes Gray comes out July 8

The Pond and the Park by Flo Fielding comes out May 13

Respect the Insect by Jules Howard comes out July 8

This story is just delightful. It is creatively written with good vocabulary and a solid plot, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. It has a positive underlying message and is educational. I love the additional supporting information at the end to invite further conversation. Would highly recommend!

A sweet book about the importance of friendship and the need to empower our differences. Text is easy and clear to read and the illustrations are beautiful and whimsical - they remind me slightly of The Gruffalo. A great lesson on the power of community.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I love this very sweet story about friendship! It's very cute, and the drawings complete the story. I love how the text and fonts that are used vary, which makes it a little more playful for children to read. It's really well done and I highly recommend it!

What a cute and clever book! A beautiful way to describe interdependence between animals and ecosystems to young kids. The art is beautiful, as well. My kids loved it!

Charming story. Highlighting an unlikely friendship and teaching about the eco system. Highly recommend!

This was a sweet story to read with my four year old son! He really enjoyed the bison, especially when she was taking a dust bath. The friendships she made with the other animals were cute. It was a great opportunity to talk with my son about friendship and kindness. The importance of being a friend to all!

What a brilliantly thought out book which introduces children to how eco systems work whilst also showing the importance of friendship.

Through the illustrations the Bison really comes alive on the page.

Will definitely be getting a copy for our house so we can revisit the story.