The Blue Butterfly
Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus), a real British species, native to farmland meadows. Never speaks. Never explained. The meaning is the reader's to keep.
The full ensemble
The Animals of Merevale Creek Farm
Fifteen named characters, the Blue Butterfly, and The Ladybird mechanic.
Seven female, eight male. Two protagonists are female and two male.
The Ladybird Hunt
Common 7-spot Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata). Hidden only in the illustrations: 1 in Chapter 1, 2 in Chapter 2, all the way to 12 in Chapter 12. 78 per book. 312 across the four-book series. The challenge page at the back of every book lets readers tick them off.
🐞 Open the Hunt →