Mariposas en el primer día de clases

by Annie Silvestro, Dream Chen (Illustrator)

El primer día de clases suele ser emocionante, ¡pero también puede causar mucho miedo! Conoce a Rosie, la nueva estudiante que tiene mariposas en el estómago.
Rosie no ve la hora de comenzar el kindergarten. Hace semanas que le ha sacado punta a sus lápices y ya tiene la mochila lista. De pronto, la noche previa al gran día, le empieza a doler la barriguita. Su mamá la tranquiliza, le dice que son solo mariposas en el estómago, y pronto se sentirá mejor. Rosie ve con sorpresa que, al saludar a una nueva amiga en el autobús, ¡una mariposa escapa de su boca! A lo largo del día, Rosie se va liberando de todas las mariposas, e incluso ayuda a una niña tímida a liberarse de las suyas.
 
The first day of school is exciting—but it can be scary, too! Meet Rosie, a brand-new student who just happens to have butterflies in her stomach.
Rosie can’t wait to start kindergarten. She’s had her pencils sharpened and her backpack ready for weeks. But suddenly, on the night before the big day, her tummy hurts. Rosie’s mom reassures her that it’s just butterflies in her belly, and she’ll feel better soon. Much to Rosie’s surprise, when she says hello to a new friend on the bus, a butterfly flies out of her mouth! As the day goes on, Rosie frees all her butterflies, and even helps another shy student let go of hers, too.
 

Genres: Picture Books, School, Back To School, Friendship, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction

28 pages, Paperback

Published August 2, 2022

About the author

Annie Silvestro is a lover of books who reads and writes as much as possible and can often be found shuffling piles of them around so she has a place to sit or someplace to put her teacup. Her picture books include BUNNY’S BOOK CLUB, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss (Doubleday), MICE SKATING, illustrated by Teagan White (Sterling, Fall 2017), and THE CHRISTMAS TREE WHO LOVED TRAINS, illustrated by Paola Zakimi (HarperCollins, Fall 2018). Annie lives with her family by the beach in New Jersey. Visit Annie online at: www.anniesilvestro.com and on Twitter and Instagram: @anniesilvestro

Reviews

[Mary Lee]

Pair with Nugget and Fang Go To School for kids with first day anxiety.

[Alex Baugh]

Rosie is so excited to begin school. First, she bought a backpack with flowers, then she practiced raising her hand, writing her letters and saying the name of the teacher. But when it comes time to actually go to school, Rosie claims she doesn't feel good. "You just have butterflies in your belly" her mom reassures her. On the school bus, she meets Violet, and discovers they would be in the same class, but every time Rosie speaks, butterflies fly out of her mouth. Luckily, no one else notices. In class, the teacher has each child say something about who they are. When it's Rosie's turn, butterflies again fly out with her words, but then Rosie notices she is feeling better. In fact, as she gets to know the other kids, she feels better and better. At recess, Rosie makes friends with Isabella, a girl who also has butterflies in her tummy. By the end of the day, all the butterflies have flown away. And Rosie can't wait to go back to school the next day. Kids always seem to think that the idea of starting school is exciting, at least until the first day rolls around and the reality of it can cause some kids to have a sudden case of nerves. Putting that feeling into an expression like 'butterflies in your belly' is a wonderful way for them to express what they are feeling, and seeing them fly out of Rosie and Isabella's mouth is such a delightful image for kids. Rosie's first day is pretty standard, but is also very reassuring for nervous kindergarteners. Dream Chen's detailed illustrations, which include a nice variety of butterflies, are charming and capture Rosie's emotions perfectly. This is an ideal book for nervous kids starting school.

[Jill]

We read this by candlelight last night during the tornado warning!

What a sweet story about a girl who is a little nervous about the first day of kindergarten. Her parents explain that she has butterflies in her belly - and then real butterflies come out of her mouth as she makes new friends and speaks up in class.

The illustrations are colorful and cute, and I will hang onto this library book until our first week! Bonus: George loves it, too! We’ve read it at least 5 times since last night. 😂

[Jennifer]

Very cute. The actual concept of butterflies in your stomach. Good for a back-to-school storytime.

[Aneesa]

Did you notice the mom's butterflies?

[Nocturnal]

This is a great book for giving kids, worried or nervous about any situation, permission to feel these emotions and one way to express it.

[Janet Squires]

Butterflies On The First Day of School by Annie Silvestro with illustrations by Dream Chen is an ideal story for young readers facing the beginning of a new school year.

Playing off the familiar “butterflies in my stomach” description for feeling nervous, Silvestro crafts her story of a little girl who truly has butterflies in her stomach. Rosie begins her day feeling too anxious to even enjoy her mom’s chocolate chip pancakes and climbing on the unfamiliar school bus doesn’t help. But Rosie soon discovers that making a new friend enables her to release the first butterfly that flutters from her lips. As the day progresses, Rosie finds more friends and fun, releasing all her butterflies one after another.

Silvestro contrasts the butterfly fantasy against the reality of kindergarten life: meeting the teacher, sharing, painting, building with blocks, romping on the playground, and telling her mother all about her fabulous first day of school.

Chen’s vibrant colors and richly detailed illustrations are a charming backdrop for the lively text.

Now’s the time to add this charmer to your home or school library.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

Butterflies on the First Day of School by Annie Silvestro, illustrated by Dream Chen. PICTURE BOOK. Sterling Children's Books, 2019. $17. 9781454921196

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Rosie was so excited to go to school, but when the first day comes, she discovers she's nervous. Her parents begin to explain what it means to have butterflies in her belly, but the bus pulls up. As Rosie encounters new situations, she releases beautiful butterflies into the air. But it turns out that Rosie isn't the only one with butterflies in her belly. Other kids have them, too, and even adults.

This is a lovely approach to dealing with first-day-of-school nerves. It would also be a good introduction to a discussion of idioms and of how emotions can affect the body. It is a good lesson on empathy, as well, because kids discover that they are not the only ones who have this universal feeling from time to time.

Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[N.]

Rosie’s excited about her first day of school until the night before. Then she starts to become nervous. She has trouble sleeping and in the morning her mother tells her it’s just butterflies. When she gets on the bus and makes a friend, butterflies 🦋 fly out of her mouth. Symbolic for her growing confidence, more butterflies escape her lips each time she comes up with the strength to speak. The same thing happens to a new friend with a similar case of nerves.

A great book for preparing a child for school, learning about how good things can happen even when you’re scared, plus a cool early lesson in metaphor. Love it!

[Michelle Schaub]

Annie Silvestro definitely has her finger on the pulse of the back-to-school mix of excitement and anxiety with Butterflies on the First Day of School. Readers will identify with Rosie and the flutter she feels in her tummy the night before school starts. They’ll have fun counting each butterfly that floats off when something positive happens on her first day of school. As a teacher, I appreciated the gentle, positive introduction to a school day. This book makes a great companion to Silvestro’s Bunny’s Book Club Goes to School.

[Laura]

Rosie is excited, but also a little nervous, so she navigates her first day of school with a few butterfly companions. When her butterflies are nearly gone, Rosie helps another student release her butterflies, and when she tells her mom all about her day, butterflies finally leave her mom. A tear-jerker for sure. After all, first day of school butterflies are not just for kids.

[Diane]

Rosie can’t wait for school to start. She practices raising her hand and writing her letters. She has a brand new backpack. But on the night before school is to start, she can’t sleep. She can’t eat her breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. “Maybe I better stay home ... I don’t want Emily to be lonely.” But her mother explains to her that she just has butterflies in her belly.

On the bus, she meets Violet right away. And as she starts to get to know Violet, she sees butterflies flying out of her mouth. With each positive new experience, some more butterflies depart her belly. Rosie even helps another student get rid of some of the butterflies.

A good read aloud for the first day of school.

[Shoshanah]

I may have fallen in love with this book! We first read it the night before my daughter’s first day of Pre-k, which was perfect.

Rosie was so excited to start school, except the night before school she can’t sleep and when she wakes up her stomach doesn’t feel good. Her mom tells her it must be butterflies in her belly, and throughout the day when she speaks butterflies fly out of her mouth. Of course she makes new friends and has a great day. But the part that spoke to me is at the end when she tells her mom about her day, her mom releases a butterfly too! As a mom, I couldn’t help but tear up a bit reading that ending!

[Little Seesaw]

This book is so relatable. I love how the butterfly's are literally exiting from the little girls mouth. So cute. This book makes me think of all the things that we say that kids completely don't understand. I remember reading a book to Kenda and Jake and the little kids took a shortcut. Jake asked, "What is a shortcut?" His wise sister only 15 months older than him replied, "Oh Jaker-Boy I know what that is, it is when you get your hair cut really short."
The ending of this book was really tender when the mom had butterflies come out of her mouth. There is just something about sending that first child to kindergarten. I seriously cried. After that i was like Bye-Bye!

[Lilith Day]

Some children get nervous on their first day of school. Change can be tricky and fun. On Butterflies on the First Day of School, you can help prepare your child for what is to come.

What I enjoyed most about this book, it is written mostly in a metaphoric way. The children can see how the butterflies are flying away while the girl is gaining more confidence as she goes about her day.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine and were in no way influenced by outside sources. I am a professional blogger at Little Lady Plays

[Jana]

The first day of school is a little bit scary for everyone, especially those that are starting kindergarten. Rosie is about to start school for the first time, and while she's excited, she's a bit nervous the night before and the morning of the big day. Her mother tells her she's fine, she just has butterflies in her stomach. But as the day goes along, and things turn out fine, those butterflies are gradually released until she gets home. This would be a terrific book to share with young children that are about to start school for the first time or are starting in a new school.

[Miss Melissa]

A lovely picture book about getting nervous on your first day of school. Rosie discovers that she has butterflies in her stomach, but each time she speaks to make a friend and get to know her classmates and teacher a butterfly or two fly out of her mouth. I get as an adult that the positive interactions help to lower her nervousness, but I am not sure a child audience would grasp it so easily. I would have to read it out loud to some young school aged children first!

[Alyssa Mandell]

A very cute book about a little girl who is nervous about the first day of school. When she tells her dad her stomach hurts he explains it is because she has butterflies. Throughout the day she looses her butterflies and starts to gain confidence. I really liked how the end of the book, the mother had a butterfly too, showing you mom was just as nervous. This would make a great first day of school story for elementary children.

[Molly Cluff (Library!)]

A good book for those first-day-of-school jitters. I'm not sure how well kids will understand the "butterfly" metaphor (when they feel nervous, they just have to let the butterflies out by talking to someone new or trying a new thing), but the idea was comforting that nerves are just beautiful butterflies ready to spring forth! And the butterflies were illustrated in a lovely, colorful way so it's pretty to look at, regardless.

[Anna]

Story: 5
Illustrations: 3
Read aloud: 4

A great book to read at the beginning of the school year. Rosie learns that she feels less nervous throughout the first day of school as she tries new things and finds out that everything goes okay. My favorite part was the ending.

(I know this is picky, but the story says a girl stood alone under an oak tree and the illustrated tree doesn’t look anything like an oak tree. It should have at least had leaves shaped like oak leaves.)

[Manda Marigold]

In this book, Rosie is nervous for her first day of school. Rosie's mom explains to her that she has butterflies in her stomach. Every time Rosie speaks, butterflies fly out of her mouth. Eventually, the butterflies dissipate enough for Rosie to make friends and enjoy her day. This is a great book to read with children before school starts to show them that everybody gets nervous and they are not alone.

[Monica]

Perfect book for the first week of school. Clever how it took a common expression and turned it into a story. It is normal for students, parents and educators to have butterflies in their bellies on the first day. I loved the ending with the mom's butterfly floated out with her words because she had butterflies in her belly too.

[Jenna Grodzicki]

This adorable story puts a literal spin on the phrase "butterflies in your belly." It's Rosie's first day of school, and she has butterflies in her belly. Every time she talks, one or two of them fly out of her mouth. As her day goes on, however, and more and more butterflies leave her belly, she starts to feel better. This is a great read for any child who is about to embark on a new adventure.

[Chris Hays]

I thoroughly enjoyed this simple plot line for a book. I like the delicate way the author looks at a student's nervousness as they enter their first day of school. I enjoy how the student, though nervous shows kindness towards another who might be having an even tougher time than herself. This might be front runner for read aloud next year on the first day for pre-school or kindergarten.

[Janet]

The story is exactly what the title says, a little has butterflies(fear) on the first day of school. This is a title that fulfills the need for that type of story, however the sentences do not flow well and I would have difficulty reading it aloud. My favorite part of this title is the illustrations on the end papers, flowers and beautiful butterflies.

[Erika Snider]

This book is perfect for students who are starting school for the first time. Some students can be anxious, nervous, or excited. By reading this book it can show students that even though we are nervous, things aren't always that bad. You will have great memories, learn to help someone else, and how making new friends helps with the butterflies leaving your stomach.

[Pam]

Charming story about first day of school nerves. Silvestro makes the butterflies real and they fly out of Rosie's mouth each time she's brave or feeling more relaxed. Love the end where the butterflies fly out of mom's mouth when Rosie gets home. Affirming that we get nervous at all ages.

[Anna]

Cute book! I love the butterflies-in-your-stomach concept where as someone spoke who had butterflies in their stomach (figuratively speaking), butterflies would come out from their mouth. Clever idea! The illustrations are super awesome and adorable. Full of cute details and vivid colors! Adorable.

[Kelly]

It's an Annie Silvestro book; how can you not love it? I really do love it. I love how you can tell the characters are getting a little less nervous each time a butterfly flies out of them. It's a good story of being friends with others.

[Esutterlin]

A precious picture book validates first day jitters for a girl starting school. Annie finds that the "butterflies in her stomach" are lessened as she shares her feelings with others and makes new friends.