Crystal Butterfly

She was promised to wed a greedy, lustful king from a rival nation. The same king who had arranged the ambush and murder of her father. When enemy forces invade her homeland of Enwayo, Princess Akinyi chooses to forsake her love and remain with her people as a prisoner instead of fleeing for the safe haven of her with her brother. As part of this, she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice: becoming the bride of her mortal enemy. The doomed Princess luck changes after almost drowning in a lake. There, she encounters a talking frog named Tumelo. He is a simple but not ordinary frog. And he offers to make a special deal with the princess. For a price. What does he want? Is it worth it? She was promised to wed a greedy, lustful king from a rival nation. The same king who had arranged the ambush and murder of her father. When enemy forces invade her homeland of Enwayo, Princess Akinyi chooses to forsake her love and remain with her people as a prisoner instead of fleeing for the safe haven of her with her brother. As part of this, she decides to make the ultimate sacrifice: becoming the bride of her mortal enemy. The doomed Princess luck changes after almost drowning in a lake. There, she encounters a talking frog named Tumelo. He is a simple but not ordinary frog. And he offers to make a special deal with the princess. For a price. What does he want? Is it worth it?

In The Glass Butterfly, Louise Marley winds together a tale of subtle danger lurking in the past and a mother's sacrifice for her son's future. . .. A new life. A new name. A complete break with the past. It's the only way therapist Victoria Lake can think to protect her son--and herself--from a case turned deadly. She and Jack have barely spoken since he's gone to college. As painful as it is, it's better that he think she's dead than let her enemies suspect that she's not. Jack could never stand his mother's insistence that sometimes intuition told her things facts couldn't. But he has a strange feeling that she's alive, despite the meticulous police investigation and the somber funeral. Of course, Jack is reconsidering several things his mother said, now that she's gone. To survive, Victoria knows she has to reinvent herself completely. She can't even listen to her beloved Puccini. But without the music in her ears, eerie dreams invade her sleep. Lush with the sounds and sights of 19th-century Tuscany, they're also loaded with a very real warning she can't afford to ignore. . . Praise for Louise Marley and her novels "Will keep readers with a love for books like Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife and A.S. Byatt's Possession on the edge of their seats." --RT Book Reviews, 4 1⁄2 Stars on The Brahms Deception "Eerie, beautiful. . .has a poetic, haunting sense of time and place." --Stephanie Cowell on Mozart's Blood

Kai and Ami are dancing butterflies from Taiwan! They have a performance coming up at the Winter Festival dance show in the southern part of the island. They are currently in northern Taiwan, so they need to hurry and start flying south. That's far for a butterfly! Kai is worried about the long journey, and about the big show too. Can Kai step up to the challenge? Kai the Dancing Butterfly celebrates Taiwan's natural scenic wonders, amazing animal species, and incredible Indigenous cultures. This children's book is a marvelous read for all those who love Taiwan, or for those who'd like to learn more about Taiwanese culture. This elaborately illustrated picture book makes an ideal gift: *Real locations in Taiwan make for an inspiring geography, history and cultural lesson *Storyline sparks dialogue around empathy, kindness, courage, faith, perseverance, friendship, and the support between siblings *Exquisite illustrations of Taiwan's majestic animals and endangered species fosters learning around ecological conservation and habitat protection *This is the first English-language children's fiction featuring Taiwan's fascinating Purple Crow Butterfly migration. This natural phenomenon is one of the planet's only mass butterfly seasonal migration. *The author Crystal Z. Lee, and the illustrator Allie Su, both grew up in Taiwan. This book is an homage to their beautiful home. About the Author Crystal Z. Lee was raised in a bilingual household in Taiwan and in California. Her great-grandparents and grandparents are originally from Taichung, Hualien, and Jinguashi area in Taipei. Crystal grew up in Taipei, and later returned to live there in her adult years. Some of her favorite memories in Taiwan include lighting lanterns with her family in Pingxi, attending a school field trip in Yehliu, boating at Sun Moon Lake, dining at grand banquets with relatives, hiking at Yangming mountain with her parents, sampling every boba tea possible with her sister, taking wedding photographs in Tamsui, and even giving birth to her child in Taipei! Her young children love dancing and adore butterflies, and have been learning how to grow plants that are beneficial for butterflies. Crystal is also the author of the children's book A Unicorn Named Rin, and the novel, Love and Other Moods. About the Illustrator Allie Su was born and raised in Yunlin county, Taiwan. She attended Nanhua University in Chiayi city, majoring in Visual Arts. She is a professional illustrator, specializing in oil painting and ink painting. Allie adores vegetarian food and hot coffee. She believes in bringing joy to people worldwide through art.

What is the Crystal Butterfly, where is it, and how did it get lost? This is the story of a princess who loved butterflies, and the mystery of one that is lost. The princess wishes to have butterflies in the palace at night that are as beautiful as those that visit her during the day. Her father tries to make her happy, (like all fathers) by having butterflies made and hung in the palace, but none are as transparent and beautiful as real ones. A messenger is sent to the Land of the Crystal Stones to have one made for her. On his return, the Crystal Butterfly is lost. And so a journey begins that is filled with history, geography, clues and mystery. Do you like a challenge? Read the book, decipher the clues by using an understanding of history and geography, and you may find where the Crystal Butterfly is lost. Should you be successful, you will receive a print picture of the Crystal Butterfly signed by the author and illustrators. Age range: 8-11, grades 3-5 and all who love a mystery that involves geography and history!

Through a beautiful moral, Tony Xiomara shows us the importance of growing up, transforming, and overcoming fears so you can blossom and fulfill your dreams.Through the eyes of the crystal butterfly, a brilliant, strong, confident creature, we recognize the fundamental value of love, family acceptance so you can break the cocoon and fly freely to a life full of richness and high quality.

the 3 March 1520, the Aztec priest Ghetumal delivery to the Spanish conquistadores Hernan Cortes a holy book. Ghetumal had found it a few years earlier under the statue of the goddess of rain. No one knows who wrote it, or when. In the book there is a prophecy about the future: on August 18, 2044 something will upset the world, and is a map to decipher to change the course of events. Los Angeles 2043. The explorer Matthew Lekos and Walden Green historian come into possession of the book. Ridiculed by the scientific community for their ingenuity, they are the only ones to believe in the prophecy and manage to decipher the map, trying in every way to help humanity. The prophecy is true? What will happen on August 18, 2044? In a series of twists, turns and unpredictable between pages full of suspense, the reader will come to the incredible final.

A remarkable look at the rarest butterflies, how global changes threaten their existence, and how we can bring them back from near-extinction Most of us have heard of such popular butterflies as the Monarch or Painted Lady. But what about the Fender’s Blue? Or the St. Francis’ Satyr? Because of their extreme rarity, these butterflies are not well-known, yet they are remarkable species with important lessons to teach us. The Last Butterflies spotlights the rarest of these creatures—some numbering no more than what can be held in one hand. Drawing from his own first-hand experiences, Nick Haddad explores the challenges of tracking these vanishing butterflies, why they are disappearing, and why they are worth saving. He also provides startling insights into the effects of human activity and environmental change on the planet’s biodiversity. Weaving a vivid and personal narrative with ideas from ecology and conservation, Haddad illustrates the race against time to reverse the decline of six butterfly species. Many scientists mistakenly assume we fully understand butterflies’ natural histories. Yet, as with the Large Blue in England, we too often know too little and the conservation consequences are dire. Haddad argues that a hands-off approach is not effective and that in many instances, like for the Fender’s Blue and Bay Checkerspot, active and aggressive management is necessary. With deliberate conservation, rare butterflies can coexist with people, inhabit urban fringes, and, in the case of the St. Francis’ Satyr, even reside on bomb ranges and military land. Haddad shows that through the efforts to protect and restore butterflies, we might learn how to successfully confront conservation issues for all animals and plants. A moving account of extinction, recovery, and hope, The Last Butterflies demonstrates the great value of these beautiful insects to science, conservation, and people.

All she wanted was to be someone's little girl... Fate made her a lonely orphan, yearning for the embrace of a real family and a loving home. But a golden chance at a new life may not be enough to escape the dark secrets of her past...

In an abandoned dance studio, there’s music and dancing unheard and unseen by anyone. The whispers in the shadows laud praises upon the figure who spins around the room, her body translucent and flickering in the night. Nothing is in motion, and yet everything moves around the room. Darkness and light intertwine and dance to cast the shadows of the world. The Shadow Dancer performs a dance that crosses the borders between the world and other surprising places within flickering shadows. The Shadow Dancer knows the truth. Without the darkness, there can be no light. Without the light, there can be no darkness. Between them lies the shadow in which the Shadow Dancer twirls. Enter the world of the Shadow Dancer and immerse yourself in 150 poems, living in the light, the dark, and the shadow.