The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
Reader’s Rally Questions by James Brown – Bethesda ES
1. In the book, The Butterfly , who was the author?
Patricia Polacco, Cover, Title Page
2. In the book, The Butterfly , in what town does Monique live?
“Choisy-le Roi, just outside of Paris”
3. In the book, The Butterfly , what enemy group occupied France?
Nazi Troops
4. In the book, The Butterfly , why were there Nazi Troops in Choisy-le Roi?
All France was occupied because of the war.
5. In the book, The Butterfly , w hat was the name of Monique’s cat?
Pinouff
6. In the book, The Butterfly , what was Monique’s mother’s name?
Marcelle Sollilage
7. In the book, The Butterfly , who was Denise?
Monique’s best friend
8. In the book, The Butterfly , who owned the candy shop?
Monsieur Marks and his wife
9. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Monsieur Marks give the little girls?
Candy
10. In the book, The Butterfly , why were most of the candy jars in Monsieur Marks’ store empty? The war.
11. In the book, The Butterfly , who wore tall shining boots?
Nazi soldiers
12. In the book, The Butterfly , what did the Nazi’s do to Monsieur Marks?
Dragged him from his shop, threw him on the ground, kicked him and put him in a car
13. In the book, The Butterfly , why did the Nazi soldiers arrest Monsieur Marks?
Monsieur Marks was a Jew.
14. In the book, The Butterfly , who was P ére Voulliard?
“their priest from St. Germain des Prés.”
15. In the book, The Butterfly , what was the name of the “ghost” that Monique saw?
Severine
16. In the book, The Butterfly , where does Sevrine live?
In the same house as Monique
17. In the book, The Butterfly , where was the secret hiding place were Severine and her family were hiding? In a secret part of the cellar hidden by a door in the floor
18. In the book, The Butterfly , who hid Sevrine and her family?
Madame Sollilage

19. In the book, The Butterfly , why were Sevrine and her family hiding in Marcelle
Sollilage’s cellar?
They were Jews, hunted by the Nazis
20. In the book, The Butterfly , what did the Nazi soldier do when he saw the butterfly?
Grabbed it in his fist (remind students about book title)
21. In the book, The Butterfly , what was Monique doing when the Nazi soldiers came into her garden? Cutting flowers for the table
22. In the book, The Butterfly , what is the French word for butterfly?
Papillon (remind students about book title)
23. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Monique bring Sevrine. Things from outside, flowers, soil, a butterfly (remind students about book title)
24. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Sevrine do with the papillon Monique brought her? She set it free from the window
25. In the book, The Butterfly , why did the girls have to tell Madame Sollilege they had been playing? Mr. Lendormy had seen them together when they released the butterfly
26. In the book, The Butterfly , when the girls told Marcelle Sollilege about being seen by
Mr. Lendormy what did she decide to do?
Get Sevrine’s family out of the county, leave that night
27. In the book, The Butterfly , why did Marcelle Sollilege tell Sevrine and her family put on as many clothes as they can? “We don’t dare carry valises (suitcases) or we will attract attention.”
28. In the book, The Butterfly , why did P
ére Voulliard, Marcelle and Sevrine’s parents dig holes in the cellar? To bury anything that might look like someone had lived there
29. In the book, The Butterfly , how were Sevrine’s parents dressed for escape?
Her mother was dressed as a nun and her father was dressed as a priest
30. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Monique give Sevrine? her cat, Pinouff
31. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Sevrine give Monique?
A gold chain with a Star of David
32. In the book, The Butterfly , how did Marcelle know that a stopped car was there to help take Sevrine to safety? Turned headlights on and off 3 times.
33. In the book, The Butterfly , at the train platform what happened to Marcelle and
Monique? They were separated by the crowd
34. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Monique drop on the train platform that frightened her? The gold chain with the Star of David that Sevrine had given her
35. In the book, The Butterfly , what did Monique see at the train station that made her sad? A little girl with a Star of David on her coat

36. In the book, The Butterfly , while Marcelle and Monique were planting flower bulbs what happened to make Monique that see had a sign, a miracle from Sevrine? Many butterflies floated into the garden
37. In the book, The Butterfly , what group did Marcelle Sollilege join?
The French Resistance – the Underground organized by General Charles De Galle
38. In the book, The Butterfly , what brave thing did Marcelle Sollilege do?
She helped Jews escape the Nazis
39. In the book, The Butterfly , how did Sevrine let Monique know that she made it to safety? Sevrine sent a card with a drawing of a butterfly (papillon) and the the words “Je vis! (I live!) Sevrine” Next to her signature was a paw print.
40. In the book, The Butterfly , what happened to Sevrine’s parents?
“Neither parent survived their attempt to escape”
41. In the book, The Butterfly , where did Sevrine live after finding safety in Switzerland?
She went to England and stayed with close family friends until the war ended
42. In the book, The Butterfly , where did Sevrine move when the war ended?
Israel to live with relatives