The Picture Book Buzz - Review of Papilio

What an ingenious way to create a picture book - a collaboration of three distinct illustrative styles, woven together through a butterfly's lifecycle, personality, and a special friendship.

Book cover - a gorgeous triptych image divides the cover with a caterpillar on a pink background, a chrysalis hanging on a branch on a yellow background, and a butterfly flying over the branch tip on a blue background.

Papilio

Author/illustrators: Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (March 4, 2025)

Ages: 3-7

Informational Fiction

Themes:

Butterfly metamorphosis, growing up, persistence, and friendship.

Synopsis:

A tale told in three parts by three friends! Powerhouse creators, Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, have come together to create a wholly inventive picture book that is perfect for fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Introducing Papilio Polyxenes, the Black Swallowtail Butterfly! She’s an adorable and hilarious caterpillar who is ready to join the world and become a butterfly! But growing up is a complicated work in progress, and Papilio encounters some hiccups as she learns to fly, fall, and feed. While avoiding foes and making friends, she transforms from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly...and most importantly, learns to believe in herself along the way.

Told in three parts and complete with backmatter about butterflies, mega-bestselling author-illustrator Ben Clanton (Narwhal and Jelly), Caldecott Honoree Corey R. Tabor (Mel Fell) and rising star Andy Chou Musser (Ploof) have come together to create an expressive character who exudes all of the emotions that accompany life's big firsts and the experiences that help us to discover our inner strength.

Opening Lines:

Papilio can't wait to join the world!

Today is the day! she decides.

What I LOVED about this book: The book starts with such a sweet opening text and illustration. Papilio, currently a caterpillar egg, rests on the leaf of a big pink flower. Be sure to notice the little nose and twisting tail peeking out of a nearby flower.

Internal image - on a sunny day, in a field of wildflowers, a tiny butterfly egg rests on the leaf of a pink flower, while a mouse snuggles nearby in a blue and white flower, alseep.

Text and Image © Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, 2025.

Ben Clanton's cartoonish, mixed media, almost collaged, illustrations provide the perfect capture of a happy go lucky caterpillar busting from her egg with a smile, unknowingly nibbling her leaf in half, and falling to the ground.

Internal spread - on the left three panels of the caterpillar falling. On the right, four spot illustrations of the caterpillar striking, bouncing, and slumping onto the ground.

Text and Image © Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, 2025.

Led by her stomach, Papilio spies a beautiful ripe strawberry. But she discovers "this world is so berry big and I'm so small...." Playful illustrations and fun word play, highlight the little caterpillar's attempts to reach the berry and a wonderful little surprise. Then, as we shift to the next section, Papilio sings, "Got a full belly, time to turn to jelly!" against a solid yellow background.

With a softer, loser line, Cory R. Tabor uses pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor to carry the reader on an exploration of Papilio's time as a happy little chrysalis. Continuing the humor, Papilio notes that "you can't become a butterfly without first becoming caterpillar soup." Unaware that her chrysalis has been snatched by a robin, and she is actually in momentary peril, Papilio just goes with the flow and bumps along with the help of a special friend.

Internal spread - on the left, a robin flies toward another robin with the chrysalis its beak. On the right, over two panels the robins fight over the chrysalis and drop it.

Text and Image © Ben Clanton, Corey R. Tabor, and Andy Chou Musser, 2025.

Until, against a blue background, Papilio emerges as a beautiful black butterfly. I love each of these two transition pages where we see not just the transition steps of Papilio, but the ingenious shift from one illustration style to another. For instance, through three steps the sharp lines of a branch gradually become softened, and the playful line drawing of the caterpillar is slowly encased by a loose, almost chalk-like drawing of a chrysalis. This same transition occurs with the emergence of the butterfly and the shift to the next illustration style. It's really an ingenious transition incorporating the science of metamorphosis.

In the final section, Andy Chou Musser's more defined and realistic illustrations using colored pencil, digital paint and collage continue with a wide-eyed Papilio's experiences as she tries a number of times to figure out how to use her wings, evade predators, and almost make it to a delicious flower. And this time, coming full circle, she helps her friend. I'm leaving it to you to read and discover the wonderful friendship explored in the book.

Internal spread - on the left, a newly hatched butterfly stares at a big delicious flower. On the right, struggling up and down across the page, the butterfly tries to master using her wings.

This is a really entertaining book using the adorable Pollyanna character of Papilio to explore not only the metamorphosis of a butterfly, but the struggles, emotions, and adventures that a child can easily relate to as they also work to master each next step in their own progress. The final image is a creative melding of all three illustration styles in a super imaginative scene. Back matter includes "a flutter of facts" on butterflies and a composite author's note, exploring each author/illustrator's portions and their collaboration. As an informational STEM picture book, so much science and biology are cleverly woven into a touching friendship and coming of age story. One that makes learning about the caterpillar to butterfly transition lots of fun. It's sure to be a hit with kids and teachers.

Resources:

Photo collage of 6 of 20 butterfly crafts for kids.

try a couple of these butterfly crafts, .maybe make one that looks like Papilio.

Photo collage of the phases of the butterfly life-cycle made with egg cartons.

create your own Papilio (or own butterfly) life cycle using egg cartons.

Photo of a child with a butterfly on her nose and three plants that butterflies love.

make a butterfly pot or garden. Or visit a butterfly house at a zoo or science center near you - how many butterflies and moths can you find and identify?