Monarca by Leopoldo Gout and Eva Aridjis
Every so often a book comes along whose physical beauty is just as delightful as its contents.
Monarca by Leopoldo Gout and Eva Aridjis is a joy to leaf through. Though a novel, it is highly-illustrated with edgy, bright artwork. Pages are ink-splattered with motion and emotion. Text size changes, as does colour and orientation - taking the eye on rolling flights through its 220 pages.
“...isolation and lack of time outdoors were taking a toll on her mind and body.”
The artwork amplifies the text, but it also surprises and shocks. There’s at least one violent jolt for the reader among the loveliness.
Leopoldo Gout & Eva Aridjis
The story is told by Inés who, on her thirteenth birthday, transforms into a butterfly and finds herself on the other side of her bedroom window. She hollers and strikes the glass with mighty lightness, but who can hear a butterfly? And so, drawn by the call of the great southern migration, she joins the monarch swarm on its 3,000-mile odyssey to Mexico.
“...in order to survive, they each had to put their individual needs aside and operate as a unit.”
But there are dangers ahead. Inés has her human memories to guide her, but will need to learn the way of the butterfly in order to save the species.
“Inés was relieved to encounter people such as these and thought about how simple it was to help the weary monarchs, although so few people actually did.”
In Monarca, the message is stronger than the story, but the intent is so earnest and heartfelt that the medicine tastes sweet. Fiction makes a fresh vehicle through which to learn about monarchs and experience their epic migration in a first-hand way.
The story alerts the reader to unusual threats: North America’s increased appetite for avocados, being one; a taste which encourages avocado plantation expansion in the Michoacán central highlands - aka monarch territory. Other threats include a roll-call of usual suspects: habitat loss and the increased used of insecticides and herbicides.
“For better or for worse, she was part of this swarm now, and in order to survive, they had to put their individual needs aside and operate as a unit.”
I particularly liked the folklore idea of the butterflies being the souls of deceased Purépecha, and the magic realism of the old legends.
In short, Monarca is a feast for the eyes, with a gentle story and a call-to-action at the end.
Published by HarperOne in 2022, Monarca is suitable for readers ten and up, and is likely to appeal more to girls.
Many thanks to HarperOne for my advanced reading copy. It is a visual treat.
WHAT TO READ NEXT
For more on the monarchs, Sara Dykman’s Bicycling with Butterflies is a hugely enjoyable blend of nature-writing, science, and outdoor adventure.
