This is the heartwarming story of one little girl’s journey through grief.
After losing her best friend-a butterfly named Twinkle-Star must search to rediscover her sunshine. The loss of Twinkle has kept Star under a dark cloud for some time, but her journey towards betterment will touch the hearts of all readers! Star is amazed to discover that she can reclaim her own sunshine by helping others who are also stuck under a dark cloud of their own! And she’ll realize that her light is even brighter than before!
Star’s love for Twinkle-and her pony, Luna-will show readers the beauty, joy, and healing power that animals can bring to our lives! Her journey will remind us that there is something beautiful to see when we take a moment to “always look up!”
AMAZON ~ B&N
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When Twinkle suddenly vanished, my heart broke for Star. She lost her best friend. I know Twinkle is just a butterfly, but a loss is a loss. The pain is real no matter whose life has ended.
Star’s mom said it best, and I’d like to share a passage from Butterfly Love From Above by Melissa Stuart.
“Twinkle is always going to be here,” said her mom, pointing to Star’s heart. “All the precious moments you shared are like a treasure chest to which only you hold the key! Those special memories are proof that love lasts forever, even when the one we love is no longer here.”
These words of wisdom can apply to anyone, regardless of age.
When Star’s mom surprised her with Luna, my heart filled with joy. Star’s smile returned, and Star then gave others a reason to smile too.
She’s a darling child, and this was a darling book.
Kate Solenova: Your illustrations were lovely. My daughter loved Luna, the pony. She said she wanted to braid her tail 🙂
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway” — John Wayne
Growing up, I had experienced horseback riding a few times while traveling on vacations to Idaho, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe. But little did I know that horses would one day be the one thing that gets me through the hardest time in my life.
After moving around the country for over a decade during my husband’s 16-year NHL career, we finally settled in the Los Angeles area. I had been teaching fitness classes for the past 15 years and it was finally going to be my time to live out my dream of opening a spin fitness studio. While searching for the perfect space for my studio, I had also fallen in love with horseback riding. One afternoon after riding, I fell to the floor and could not get up. I had ruptured my back and needed emergency surgery! Over the next two years, I had multiple spinal surgeries and all my dreams were shattered.
But something amazing happened! My little girl had caught the horse bug and fell in love with horses and riding herself. I found so much joy in just sitting at the barn watching her ride, surrounded by nature, butterflies, and the majestic horses! Often times, I would see beautiful yellow butterflies flying around my little girl while she was riding, like they used to do when I would ride. That made my heart so happy.
I will always believe our pony Luna was meant to be part of our family. We had been searching for about a year for the perfect pony and nothing felt quite right. I received an email from my trainer that she found one that she thinks would be a good fit. When I opened the picture, I got tears in my eyes. She looked just like the horse that I had a picture of hanging in my room at home! After my grandma had passed away, I purchased a picture that had a white horse with a dark mane with the words that read, “When you believe beyond what your eyes can see…signs from heaven show up to remind us that love never dies!” Luna looked just like the horse in my picture! She was already named Luna (which means moon) when we bought her, and my daughter’s name is Stella (which means star) and I just felt this was a match made in heaven!
These true-life events inspired me to write this story! Maybe I didn’t physically get back in the saddle, but having the courage to write my story and share it with the world or whoever is meant to read it, feels like a victory of its own! So, I’m going to ride this writing journey out and hope that my story touches as many hearts as possible!
