Overview

Powerful, inspiring stories of perseverance and hope for children who feel alienated, out of place or overwhelmed. Each of the four stories in this collection centres around an emotionally vulnerable child. There is 7-year-old Kenya, who struggles with anxiety. Permanently scarred from an accident, the stares and sneers she endures shatters her self-worth. There is Lulu, who falls into depression following the death of her beloved Grandma. Will she ever be happy again? Abbas is a new arrival to America. Adjusting to school proves difficult because he can't concentrate or sit still. He wonders if he's just a ""bad"" boy. And then there is Javier, the captain of the soccer team. At school, he's a star. At home, he's a punching bag. With guidance, support and love from caring adults, each child finds their voice and turns their troubles into triumphs. Through their journeys, they realize three simple truths: They are special. They are strong. They did nothing wrong. Each story is a celebration of perseverance, grit and resilience. Every character's journey toward healing and acceptance is a reminder to young readers that they, too, are strong and special, even if they sometimes feel scared, vulnerable or alone. BUTTERFLIES IN ME is from the pen of Denisha Seals. An up-and-coming artist and filmmaker, Denisha is an abuse survivor whose stories honour and celebrate the resiliency of Black and Indigenous children and children of colour.

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9781944882839

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Reviews

The culturally specific, deeply moving, and hopeful nature of the book should be experienced by any child who has experienced trauma and/or is living with a mental health challenge. I am so thankful to now have this resource I can share with my personal and professional network so we can add our voices to what I hope will be a growing community chorus: You are special, strong and you did nothing wrong! - John Jeanetta, MBA, MSW, President & CEO, MSW, Heartland Family Services As someone who has been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD this book really hit home. I loved it's detail on the characters feelings and the idea of you did nothing wrong is wonderful. It literally brought me to tears thinking about how I had heard those words as a child suffering. I am so happy that there is now a book out there that children can read that helps them acknowledge and relate to what they are going through. It provides an amazing message and gives words of encouragement to those that need it most. I highly recommend getting this for children to help them understand both themselves and others around them. I will be reading this to my children as they get older. Thank you for making this! - Stevie Howard The stories in Butterflies in Me resonate for so many of us because we have either been these children at some point, or known them as friends, classmates, and/or charges. The illustrations bristle with stunning breadth and detail, with color and engagement, insisting that we examine every part of the social context in which these characters actually live. Though we know we are reading, we are reminded by the pictures that this is the real world that is being referenced. This book is one of those books we needed yesterday as a society, and we needed a courageous writer like Miss Seals to write it. For her, it is not just a tale of fiction, but a real-life saga of her own struggles rendered through the eyes of children who both were and are like her in a fundamental way, calling for help, not out of victimhood or weakness but out of strength. - Dr. Nikitah Imani

"""The culturally specific, deeply moving, and hopeful nature of the book should be experienced by any child who has experienced trauma and/or is living with a mental health challenge. I am so thankful to now have this resource I can share with my personal and professional network so we can add our voices to what I hope will be a growing community chorus: ""You are special, strong and you did nothing wrong!"" - John Jeanetta, MBA, MSW, President & CEO, MSW, Heartland Family Services As someone who has been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD this book really hit home. I loved it's detail on the characters feelings and the idea of you did nothing wrong is wonderful. It literally brought me to tears thinking about how I had heard those words as a child suffering. I am so happy that there is now a book out there that children can read that helps them acknowledge and relate to what they are going through. It provides an amazing message and gives words of encouragement to those that need it most. I highly recommend getting this for children to help them understand both themselves and others around them. I will be reading this to my children as they get older. Thank you for making this! - Stevie Howard The stories in Butterflies in Me resonate for so many of us because we have either been these children at some point, or known them as friends, classmates, and/or charges. The illustrations bristle with stunning breadth and detail, with color and engagement, insisting that we examine every part of the social context in which these characters actually live. Though we know we are reading, we are reminded by the pictures that this is the real world that is being referenced. This book is one of those books we needed yesterday as a society, and we needed a courageous writer like Miss Seals to write it. For her, it is not just a tale of fiction, but a real-life saga of her own struggles rendered through the eyes of children who both were and are like her in a fundamental way, calling for help, not out of victimhood or weakness but out of strength. - Dr. Nikitah Imani"

Author Information

Denisha Seals is an artist, filmmaker and author who uses the power of her pen to lift the voices of the marginalized and victimized. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse and trauma, she advocates for more awareness and understanding of the emotional toll abuse victims experience, particularly children of color. Her uplifting stories inspire readers to be strong, fearless and full of hope.

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