Bridget the Butterfly had the blues
Birte den sørgmodige sommerfugl
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Text and song by Marlene Smith
Illustrations by Karine Jørgensen
Translation by Nina Odegard48 pages, full-colored, hardcover book
Bilingual text and CD
The book is the first in a series about musical insects. Each book represents a different style of music, and each bug dances to its own tune. While the first one sings the butterfly blues, the second book is about rap music to sign language. The third one is opera to Morse code.
Excerpt from Bridget the Butterfly had the blues
English Version - click here |
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Far far north down the deep dark fjord,
on a sandy beach on an island shore,
there once lived a butterfly with beautiful wings.
Bridget the butterfly who loved to sing.
Bridget the butterfly had the blues.
She’s got ‘em bad; she’s oh so sad.
All the other butterflies played around,
but Bridget the butterfly was very down.
“Your wings are very strange”, they said,
“black and white with a little red”.
She thought and she thought, and chewed and chewed.
She ate and she ate and she grew and grew.
The more she thought, the more she ate
Juicy blossoms and nectar shakes.
Bridget the butterfly had the blues.
She’s got ‘em bad; she’s oh so sad.
Norwegian Version - click here |
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Ved en strand langs en mørk dyp fjord
På en vakker øy veldig langt mot nord
Blåvinge Birte med vakre vinger
over havet hennes toner klinger
Blåvinge sang melankolske sanger
Hun er så fylt av sorgfulle klanger
De andre sommerfuglene lekte så bra
men Blåvinge Birte var ikke gla´
«En sommerfugl som deg har vi aldri møtt
svart og hvit og med prikker i rødt»
Hun tenkte så det riktig braket
Hun spiste og vokste slik at grenen knaket
Hun knasket løv og barkebillelus
nektarshake og blomsterjuice
Blåvinge sang sorgfulle låter
Hun er trist og gråter salte dråper
About the people behind the book:
Marlene Smith has a weakness for the blues. Living on an island in Telemark, she is fulfilling her dream of writing bilingual picture books. The stories come fluttering out to land among the butterflies and flowers of Sandøya.
Karine Jørgensen, great-granddaughter of Harald Sohlberg, a painter second only to Edvard Munch, has inherited a love of spectacular colors and expressive art.
Nina Odegard, teacher and jazz singer, loves to play with words. Her Norwegian translation rhymes and can be sung to the English melody – quite an accomplishment.
Vidar Løvstad, a well-know professional blues guitarist from “Hjerteknekt” recorded and produced the music. Jon Rørmark, a talented musician from Bø played all sorts of instruments on the CD.
Actor Øyvind B. Lyse and director Nils-Arne Øvergård read the Norwegian story on the CD.