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/ Past Monthly Featured Review

The Butter Thief

Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5
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Title: The Butter Thief

Author: Ellie Lieberman

Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Genre: Children’s Literature, Fantasy

Cover:

The cover prominently features the star of the book, Basil the Bassett Hound! His head is tucked down, his eyes are rolled upward, and it’s clear he’s feeling worried and anxious. Author and illustrator Ellie Lieberman quickly caught my eye with Basil’s expression, and I was curious about what could cause all this emotion!

Premise

Spring has arrived, and Brigid and her mother are baking her special birthday butter biscuits. They whip up a fresh batch of butter only to have it ruined not once but twice! Brigid must put her detective skills to work to solve the mystery and decide who’s stealing the butter!

Why I chose this book:

In February of 2022, I reviewed Lieberman’s novel, Be. While looking at her author profile on Amazon, I realized she was also a children’s book author, which caught my attention. After reading The Butter Thief, I invited Lieberman back for a second review and a featured spot as I explore children’s literature. She is the first author to have two books from two different genres reviewed in the same year.

First Impression:

Lieberman captured my attention with her very first sentence: “It is said that when the first robin appears, and the earth awakens from the slumber of winter, that the best butter biscuits are made.” What follows is an engaging story full of colorful descriptions and funny moments.

What I loved:

I love the title of this book because it is an instant conversation starter with kids. What does the word thief mean? Who do you think the butter thief is? Why would someone want to steal butter? Look at the dog’s face…how do you think he feels? Before even opening the book, their curiosity and problem-solving skills are engaged.

The Butter Thief is a book of whimsy, which is seen in the surprise ending. Lieberman takes an already cute story and puts a delightful spin on it that feels magical! Once again, the end provides an opportunity to ask questions and even make predictions. Was your prediction accurate about who the butter thief was? How did Brigid solve the mystery of the overturned butter bowl? What do you think might happen next in this story?

Additional Thoughts:

Books are a fantastic way to build our vocabulary skills, and this is especially true for children. Lieberman uses various words that can be used to expand their vocabularies and serve as a springboard for deeper study. For example, the word “tradition” is brought up within the first paragraph. A natural extension activity would be to discuss traditions that the family has or even traditions they might want to start. The word “churning” also stood out because it is a multiple-meaning word. While the mother in the book is churning butter, a conversation about churning emotions is also quite relevant.

Quotable Quotes:

• He sniffs around the tiles for any messes or spills, his long ears dragging behind him, sweeping up anything his tongue might have missed.
• Roses, crisp and vibrant, open their newest buds to greet us.
• Stars align the darkness like strings of diamonds.
• As everyone knows, buttercups are magical flowers.

Who might enjoy this book:

The Butter Thief is ideal for readers between five and nine years of age who enjoy animal-themed stories with a magical twist. (But I really enjoyed it too!)

Overall Impression:

Five stars. As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I read children’s books each week. While many serve a therapeutic purpose, I occasionally find those books that are therapeutic and entertaining to both me and my patients. It takes a unique and talented author to entertain both adult and child readers, and Lieberman has done just this. From a lovable animal character to an unexpected ending, Lieberman establishes the Basil Bassett Book series as one to remember!

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