Author Serena Lane Ferrari and illustrator Giorgia Vallicelli combine their incredible talents in the children's story The Butterfly Inside: A Story of Courage. This courage comes from a little elf named Oliver who would prefer to be a creature altogether different. Oliver wants to be a butterfly! But how does an elf go about becoming a butterfly? He turns to his woodland friends such as Mr. Owl, who flies Oliver and the petals he's picked out to use as wings to Captain Ant, who shapes the petals into wings. Oliver ventures from one helpful friend to another but his campaign attracts some very mean crows who laugh at Oliver over and over again. Is it true that someone can be anything they want to be? Can an elf really become a butterfly?

The Butterfly Inside: A Story of Courage is adorable. Our family loves books that champion an underdog, or in the story of Oliver, an under-elf, so Serena Lane Ferrari's tale received plenty of smiles. I have a very young and new reader in my home who found most of the book easy enough to read independently. There were a handful of words she couldn't get beyond, like 'transformation' and 'fastening', and she did get slightly frustrated that she couldn't read the book entirely on her own [and these words are too advanced for her age to even learn and commit to memory], but she did fancy the plot itself. The illustrations created by Giorgia Vallicelli are marvelous. The proof that a book's illustrations have captured the heart and imagination of a child is when their tiny fingers linger on a page that they aren't ready to turn. Vallicelli's art accomplished this many times over. For adults wanting books that promote self-help and stories that promote perseverance to stay true to oneself to achieve dreams out of reach, this book is a perfect fit.

The Butterfly Inside by Serena Lane Ferrari tells the tale of Oliver the elf who lives in the forest among all the other creatures and insects. His favorite of them all is the butterfly. He loves butterflies so much he wishes he could fly just as they do. Oliver sets out on a journey to do just that. He begins by deciding how he could make the best wings to resemble a butterfly and fly like one too. Following some failures, some creatures laugh at him in disbelief, others persuade him to ask another creature, and some give extremely helpful advice. Will Oliver continue his adventure of flying like a butterfly and heed the advice of those who support him, or will he give up and become saddened by the crows who laughed at him?

The Butterfly Inside is a delightful inspirational children's picture book by Serena Lane Ferrari. The pictures are drawn incredibly well, with vibrant exciting colors. With a well-thought-out plot and developed characters, this book will be highly relatable to young readers. The message of perseverance the author portrays throughout its pages will encourage young readers never to give up on themselves or their dreams despite what obstacles and difficulties they may face. This book is great for any young child to read themselves or have a parent or guardian read to them. Libraries and pre-schools would benefit from this book with its message which teaches young readers self-confidence and the importance of support from friends.