Aya and the Butterfly
Made for Kindergartens with Puppetry, Music and lots of joining in!
“Everything about this show is perfect!”
Birchwood Kindergarten Leader, Aug 2023
The life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly seen through the eyes of a young Muslim girl from Ōtautahi Christchurch - 'Aya and the Butterfly' is a joyful story about a little girl who has been feeling sad but is enlivened by the gifts of Nature.
Published by the Ministry of Education, Dr Salama wrote ‘Aya and the Butterfly’ after she lost her son Atta in the Christchurch Mosque attacks in 2019. Dr Salama wrote the story for her granddaughter, Aya, and for other tamariki dealing with loss and trauma, with the intention of helping them come to terms with grief, and cope with change. We believe this story is a profound teaching tool for well-being and resilience building for young tamariki. It is a poignant story written through the eyes of a child, allowing sadness and grief to be present while also encouraging ‘moving on’ and ‘letting go’ – metaphorically reflected by the life-cycle and metamorphosis of the Monarch Butterfly.
Show is 30 mins long and needs a 3m deep x 3m wide space to set up in with children sitting on the floor in front.
Not suitable for under 2 years.