Hurry and the Monarch

reviews

“….Without lecturing, the author impresses upon readers the magnitude of the events. The conclusion brings the life cycle full circle, as the monarch returns to Hurry’s garden to drop her eggs—and Hurry gets a front row seat at the egg’s amazing transformation. In the space of a brief picture book, Flatharta and So endow a biological phenomenon with fully realized characters, creating a work that’s by turns funny, wistful and informative. Children will likely put down this book and look at the world with new eyes”  Publisher’s Weekly

“A [Canada-to-Mexico] migrating butterfly provides Hurry, a Texas tortoise, with perspective on the world beyond his garden. ‘Maybe one day, you’ll break out of that shell, grow wings, and fly away,’ the butterfly remarks to Hurry. ‘I doubt it,’ he replies, then contentedly settles down to hibernate. He wakes in the spring to see the same butterfly alight on a milkweed plant depositing an egg, which hatches, grows, and metamorphoses under Hurry’s watchful eye. . . . Together with its informative afterword, this is a particularly attractive, affecting introduction to the wonder of species diversity and the elegant continuum of life.”—Booklist, Starred

The Prairie Train

reviews

“…..With cadenced prose, first-time children’s book author and Irish playwright O’ Flatharta crafts a gentle fantasy about looking back and moving forward….” Publisher’s Weekly

“a gorgeous picture book…The illustrations…are outstanding.”
–Miami Herald

“a lyrical, beautifully written fantasy-adventure…”
–Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“O’ Flatharta’s fanciful tale flows across the pages…a unique and powerful book.”
–School Library Journal

“The story wonderfully addresses issues of loss, sorrow and adventure.”
–USA Today

“This story…is beautifully told…The illustrations…are equally wonderous.”
–Daily News