The Bison and the Butterfly
Alice Hemming and Nancy Leschnikoff
Ivy Kids

Free to roam wherever she chooses and well fed, Bison should feel happy but she doesn’t. Woodpecker suggests that she needs a friend. Woodpecker’s place is in the treetops so off sets Bison in search of that “Someone to trample through the woods with”. But why would any creature want to befriend a big hairy animal like her, she wonders. Woodpecker explains how Bison’s stripping of bark from the trees, provides access to food, a great help for a bird seeking breakfast.

As she goes about her regular daily activities, Bison encounters some of her smaller forest neighbours – Dung Beetle,

Lizard – in particular but although both say they benefit from her actions, (Dung Beetle eats her poo and Lizard enjoys sunbathing in the bare patches of earth the large animal makes as she rolls) neither is that special friend.

Suddenly Bison hears what sounds like crying; she stops and asks, “Is everything all right?” Resisting the ‘Go away” instruction because the voice sounded so sad, Bison responds thus, “It sounds like you need a friend.” .

Now despite not wanting to trample through the woods, it turns out that this lonely butterfly is the ideal companion for woodland rambles. So begins a wonderful friendship …

Produced in collaboration with Kent Wildlife Trust, the author uses a sweet tale of searching for a friend to show how an ecosystem works. Backmatter gives information about Bison’s role as a ‘keystone species’ that helps keep nature in balance enabling key plant species to flourish, which act as a food plant for heath fritillary butterflies. Following that is an outline of The Wilder Blean Project launched two years back – an exciting success story so far.

With its expressive illustrations and narrative style writing, sharing this story containing messages about the impact we have on those around us, and the importance of kindness, empathy and friendship.with young children would provide a good starting point for learning about ecosystems.