Mariposa's Journey - by Belen Medina Hardcover

About the Book

A story of migration as seen through the eyes of a human and a monarch butterfly.

Book Synopsis

Experience the transformative journey of a child along the migration route of monarch butterflies in this beautiful homage to both nature and immigration, with breathtaking illustrations from Caldecott Honor-winning artist Juana Martinez-Neal.

The journey looms long and dangerous, but Mariposa is not migrating alone.

Every year when the cold winter months threaten, monarch butterflies embark on an incredible migratory journey from the northern United States and Canada to the warmer climates of southern California and Mexico. Every year, humans migrate too. For survival. For family. For a better life. The path will not be easy. Will Mariposa find the way to the warmth and safety of home?

Critically acclaimed author Belen Medina explores the interconnectedness of the migratory path of monarch butterflies alongside humans in a poetic text that honors all travelers. The richly textured artwork from Caldecott Honor recipient Juana Martinez-Neal make for a visually breathtaking odyssey.

An author's note provides additional context about the indigenous Mazahua people of Mexico and their interactions with the monarch butterfly, as well as more information about the butterflies' migratory routes and conservation status.

About the Author

Belen Medina is a children's book author inspired by her Mexican heritage and bicultural upbringing in California's Central Valley. Her debut picture book, Daughter of the Light-Footed People, received multiple starred reviews and was praised for its lyrical voice and powerful storytelling. Belen is moved by stories of migration, whether in nature or in humanity. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her two sons, who enjoy pointing out all her grammatical errors as she reads them draft after draft of her stories.

Juana Martinez-Neal is a fine artist and illustrator who was born in Peru and now lives in the woods in eastern Connecticut, where she creates picture books. Her author-illustrator debut, Alma and How She Got Her Name, was a Caldecott Honor Book. Among other books she's illustrated are La Princesa and the Pea by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award; Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won the Robert F. Sibert Medal; and the New York Times bestseller Tomatoes for Neela by Padma Lakshmi.