Maple, Marilyn J.  author <br/><br/>
On the wings of a butterfly :  a story about life and death / 
written by Marilyn Maple ; illustrated by Sandy Haight. 
 - Seattle, WA :  Parenting Press,  1992. 
 - 25 unnumbered pages :  colour illustrations ;  27 cm 
<br/><br/> This book is the illustrated story of Lisa, a little girl dying of cancer, and traces a parallel between her journey towards dying and, possibly, an afterlife by comparison with the lifecycle of a butterfly. Lisa meets a chatty caterpillar in her garden and names her Sonya. Sonya is panicking about strange feelings in her body but Lisa reassures her that she will transform into a beautiful Monarch butterfly. Lisa continues to reassure Sonya as the caterpillar begins to change into a chrysalis, even as Lisa herself returns to hospital to fight cancer, a fight she doesn't win. Childhood death is sensitively treated, with an ending that can be interpreted as evidence of some form of afterlife or simply coincidence, making it a suitable story for people with religious beliefs and those who do not subscribe to a belief in life after death. It will help to engage in conversations with children about dying and death.<br/>Audience: Child 8 – 10 years, or younger with an accompanying adult; Professional; Adult caregiver 
<br/><br/> Child 8 – 10 years, or younger with an accompanying adult; Professional; Adult caregiver 
<br/><br/><label>ISBN: </label>0943990688 (paperback) 
<br/><br/><label>LCCN: </label>91050854  
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Topical Terms: </label><br/>Death--Juvenile fiction.<br/>Cancer in children--Juvenile fiction.<br/>Tumors in children--Juvenile fiction.<br/>Cancer--Fiction.<br/>Terminally ill--Fiction.<br/>Death--Fiction.<br/>Caterpillars--Fiction.<br/>Butterflies--Fiction.
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Index Terms: </label>Child with cancer  Family experiencing cancer  Grief Loss Death Death of a child Dying