by Anne Parrish
First published 1950
Appleby Capple has a mission. The five year old boy wants to find the perfect gift for his cousin Clement's 99th birthday. Clement has lived nearly a century, but there's one thing he's never seen that he desperately wants to witness: a zebra butterfly. Appleby sets out on his quest, wandering through an alphabetical journey as he searches for this elusive creature. Each letter brings new encounters with people and objects, but the zebra butterfly remains just out of reach. The boy's determination drives him forward through all twenty-six letters of the alphabet. His simple wish to bring joy to an elderly relative becomes an adventure that tests his persistence. Can a small child succeed where a lifetime of searching has failed?
Genres: family, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, quest
184 pages · Hardcover · Harper & Brothers