Butterbean

The main characters in this story are Butterbean, Mommy and Daddy. It details the anticipation of the couple as they long for a baby, the excitement of find that baby has come to be a part of their life and chronicles of the development of that baby. They share their hopes and dreams for their baby; they share how Butterbean must be feeling as she begins her life, the various people and important happenings that take place and the wonder and awe of development. They share their sense of loss and sadness as Butterbean is lost to them and their hopes of one day being reunited with her.

In reading the summary on the back of the book, I thought I knew what to expect from this story. However, as I began reading, at first I was confused and it took me a little bit to realize this was the beginning of the baby’s life, before she was born. There were times that I was unsure if the baby had been born yet or not and that the events were taking place after birth only to read another paragraph and realize she was not yet born. When I finished the book, I found myself thinking that I had missed something, that there must have been something more and reread it. It had a haunting, sad quality to it but yet a very simple comforting look at life and the acceptance of life.

The book was written in a very simple format but the context was difficult for me to follow. I think that as an adult, my expectations were for something more dramatic, more detailed. This book might be a good way for parents to express to a younger child why the brother or sister they were expecting did not arrive. I do see and understand how this story would be a comfort to anyone who has shared this experience