A Blanket of Butterflies explores the journey of Shinobu, a mysterious stranger who visits Fort Smith, NWT, to retrieve his family's samurai suit of armor and sword from the museum. When he discovers that his grandfather's sword has been lost in a poker game to the man they call "Benny the Bank," he sets out to retrieve it, with the help of a young boy, Sonny, and his grandmother. Together, they face Benny and his men, Torchy, Sfen and the giant they call Flinch. This graphic novel, beautifully illustrated by Scott B. Henderson, explores the grace of family and the power of the Great Mystery. A Blanket of Butterflies is nominated for a 2016 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue/One-Shot.
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
May 18, 2017 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781553797142
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PDF ebook
- ISBN: 9781553797210
- File size: 21510 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 510
- Text Difficulty: 1-2
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Reviews
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August 15, 2022
When a Japanese man comes to Canada to claim his family's samurai armor, he finds healing and peace with a Tlı̨chǫ Dene family. In a museum in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Shinobu, a man from Nagasaki, has arrived to take a suit of samurai armor back to his family. Unfortunately, the museum's old manager gambled the sword away to a man known as Benny the Bank. With the guidance of Sonny, a Tlı̨chǫ boy, he finds Benny's place but is attacked and knocked unconscious. Sonny brings him back to his grandmother's house, and together, with the help of a spirit, he and Ehtsi heal Shinobu's wounds. After getting to know each other and sharing stories of their respective cultures and connected histories, Ehtsi suggests going together to retrieve the sword peacefully. Van Camp (Dogrib Tlı̨chǫ) was inspired by an actual suit of samurai armor of mysterious provenance at the Northern Life Museum. This is a striking colorized version of his 2015 original. The story and messages of honor, respect, peace, and human connection are powerful and moving. Touching on the impacts of the Second World War on First Nations communities and their link to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an author's note and two notes from experts in the fields of history and museum education add valuable cultural and historical insights to support the story. A powerful, visually impactful story of cross-culture relations. (Graphic fiction. 14-adult)COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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