Adorable illustrations make this sweet tale of a lonely Bison, who thought himself too hairy and clumsy to be anyone's friend, come alive as we find him making friends throughout his day -- a woodpecker, a dung beetle, a lizard, a butterfly. He learns how he positively impacts each one in this compelling story of ecosystems and bison rewilding. A highly recommended environmental tale for readers ages 3-7 years.

I found it very hard to rate children's books so everything is a 5 star read for me!!
I really loved this book, the illustrations are so beautiful and captivating that I found myself smiling through every page I read.
The story itself is very beaitiful and inspiring <3

This was a sweet tale. The art was interesting to look at.
What I found most enjoyable was the internal dialogue!

What an interesting and fun story! The Bison and the Butterfly is an eye opener for its readers of all ages.
It explains the relationship between animals and the ecosystems.

The illustrations are pretty and keep the suspens moving during the whole story.

It’s an educative book about the reality and the impact of every animal on the ecosystems everywhere.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, the author and illustrator for this ARC.

What a sweet tale of friendship and nature!! In this story, the Bison meets lots of different friends in the forest - a woodpecker, a dung beetle, a lizard and a butterfly.

The story focuses on themes of making new friends and science/ecosystems. Symbiosis is portrayed between the bison and the woodpecker, as the bison strips bark from trees which attract bugs for the woodpecker to eat.

This would be a great story for children who are just about to start kindergarten or school, who may be feeling anxious about making new friends!

There is information at the back of the book about the two different types of Bison - American and European and Information on bringing the Bison back as they are an important keystone species.

If that hasn't sold you, then it's worth picking up for the illustrations alone! They are beautiful 😍

A very lovely picture book 🥰

The Bison and the Butterfly is a is a charming and heartwarming story about Bison, who sets out in the forest one day to try to make some friends.

It features heartfelt messages about the impact we have on those around us, finding friends, and the importance of kindness and empathy. The prose had a beautiful rhythm when we read out loud, and I loved the way it reflected Bison's emotional experience and her self talk. The author did a great job of integrating the story with the information at the end of the book about bison and their ecosystem, which made a helpful conversation started about the importance of protecting our wildlife and conservation efforts.

The illustrations perfectly captured the furry, feathery, scaly and hairy creatures in such an expressive way. We particularly loved the close ups of the faces, especially the conversation between Bison and Dung Beetle.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was so cute!! I loved this cute little journey of the bison looking for a new friend and discovering the meaning of friendship and her own self-worth! Plus she gets a wonderful new friend out of it! And what a great way to introduce children to the concept of how important a single animal's role in the ecosystem can be and the way instinctive behaviors benefit other creatures!

What worked for me:
- The illustrations were gorgeous! I loved the soft, but vibrant colors and the textures of the illustration.
- The story text was excellent! Just the right amount of text on each page, with little splashes of different font sizes and styles to keep things dynamic.
- The story itself was so cute and well done! It really illustrated the symbiotic role of animals in their ecosystems without being too "preachy" about it! And the way it was presented also allows room for other interpretations of the Bison's search for friendship that can be applied to the day-to-day lives of young readers.

What didn't work for me:
- Nothing! I really loved this book.

(A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review! ♥)

I admit I'm just a huge sap, but this made me tear up! Poor Bison realizes she doesn't have any friends and thinks she doesn't have anything special to offer. But through the help of the many friends she makes as she goes about her daily activities, Bison discovers she contributes much more than she realizes. This is an adorable story (with beautiful artwork!) and a timeless message that can resonate with anyone.

What a sweet and lovely book that not only highlights the importance of friendship but also exemplifies the importance of bison as a species, in a way that children can understand. The illustrations were adorable and expressive.

A story about how friendships can form in the most unusual of places. The friendship between the Bison and the Butterfly is explored in this book through the Bison stumbling upon the butterfly. The Bison is lonely and with the help of the butterfly he is reunited with the rest of the Bisons. The underlying concept of friendship and helping others throughout this book is sure to warm anyone's heart.
The illustrations are immaculate and sure to engross any child.

STOP, THIS IS SO CUTE.

A sad lonely bison is looking for a friend to share the beautiful art of rubbing against trees and peeling wood. Instead she finds other friends who, although they don't share her same passion, let her know about the impact she causes on their lives.

What a beautiful story this was! I love the fact that it is based on a project which consists of the protection of the environment and the conservation of bison. I personally had no idea about this problem, and I am glad to know now how important bison are.

Thank you so much NetGalley and publisher for the ARC :)

I'd like to thank the publisher for this eARC.
I read this book to my toddler tonight, and we goth really enjoyed reading about Bison's journey through the woodland to make new friends. I loved that this book was informative but also played to the idea that you can make friends anywhere. The illustrations were perfect for this book. My daughter loved pointing out the different things she could name. I especially liked the fact portion at the end of the book, with the real photographs of what Bison look like.

Absolutely adorable! This is such a heartwarming story teaching little to embrace their uniqueness. Read it to my little and he loved everything about it. The cover and illustration is so adorable and will definitely be purchasing a hard copy for my family!

As a child, and even as an adult, it’s sometimes hard to find friends and see the positivity in those around us. The Bison and the Butterfly did such a great job of capturing both of those in this book. It teachers children that being different is what makes us unique, we should never be ashamed of our individuality and every single person deserves to have the bond of friendship. I also love how the author gives facts about the ecosystem. So while this book is cute and has a beautiful message, it’s also a learning experience.

What a charming story! I really enjoyed reading "The Bison and the Butterfly." The art was especially outstanding. The theme of friendship in this book resonates beyond childhood, making it a captivating read for all ages.

Thank you NetGalley and Alice Hemming for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

This story is adorable. I love how it shows children how everything is connected in life. It shows how sometimes we can do small actions that affect others- sometimes in a positive way we don’t even realise.

A fun and informative children's book about a bison's quest to find friends and happiness. It contains beautiful illustrations of nature and wildlife, on top of a valuable message for preservation. Recommended!

'The Bison and the Butterfly' is a story about how a lonely bison finds a friend. She learns how incredibly valuable she is to others in her habitat. Bison stands by her herd, but is unhappy. She needed a friend.

Bison eats bark from sweet chestnut trees.

Bison heard a...

PECK,

PECK,

PECK, it's a woodpecker.

Woodpecker explains how Bison's bark stripping feeds him. It provides larvae from trees that woodpeckers love.

The woodpecker cannot be Bison's friend at the moment due to his busy schedule.

A bison continues to roam.

Bison has to go poo.

SPLAT!

Dung Beetle nearby is so happy. Grazing on bison dung provides Beetle with food and a place to lay eggs.

Bison asks Dung Beetle if she wants to trample through the woods with her.

Dung Beetle is too busy.

Bison meets a lizard, admires her reflection in the water, and then...

Bison meets a BUTTERFLY and everything changes.

The end of the story is wonderful.

There is a two-page section at the end of the book entitled "The real Bison and the Butterfly..." This section discusses the differences between the American bison and the European bison. Furthermore, it discusses how bison benefit other animals.

In the final two pages, there are photos of actual bison and an article entitled "Bringing back the bison." Additionally, a QR code can be scanned to download an activity pack and learn more.

I found this book to be both informative and educational. It has amazing illustrations. This is a book that I would recommend.

This is such a great book to encourage children to be a good friend. I thought that the illustrations were beautiful and would read more from this author.

#TheBisonandtheButterfly #NetGalley

I don't quite understand why the book is titled The Bison and the Butterfly when many different animals play an equal part in the book (i.e. wood pecker, dung beetle, lizard). The butterfly is the character that says "yes I'll hang with you", so that is the focal point? All the other creatures basically used the bison as a means to an end (dung beetle only wanted the dung, the wood pecker only wanted the bark removed to get the insects, etc). It would have been nice to include other creatures that reciprocate helpfulness for the bison.
The scientific/history pages in the back of the book might be a little advanced for children this book is geared toward but contain a lot of information. I hope caregivers/parents don't miss out on the QR code to access additional material that might be fun to learn more about the bison. Activity sheets are a great learning tool for those that connect with this book.