“On the face of it, Señorita Mariposa celebrates the wonder of the Monarch Butterfly’s annual migration,” says Gundersheimer, “an epic three thousand mile journey that spans the US, Mexican, and Canadian borders." However, a deeper underlying narrative emerged. "We grew to understand the responsibility that all three nations share in safeguarding butterfly habitat and the undeniable parallels with human migration."
Published by Penguin Random House, Señorita Mariposa chronicles the extraordinary annual migration of monarch butterflies from Canada to Mexico. The bilingual book aims to inspire the next generation of eco-activists and spark dialogue about butterfly habitat and the responsibility that children share on both sides of the border as stewards of the environment.
After Señorita Mariposa was published, Ben and Marcos made a pilgrimage to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in the mountains of Michoacán, Mexico, where they witnessed millions of butterflies congregating in their winter home. They were guided through the reserve by biologists who study the monarch butterflies and the indigenous cooperatives who continue to protect and preserve their habitat.
In Mexico City, Marcos and Ben were also able to meet with Homero and Betty Aridjis, the environmental activists who lobbied for more than a decade to protect the Monarch's winter home (establishing the UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Not long after the publication of Señorita Mariposa, Ben headlined a national climate action rally in Washington, DC organized by Moms Clean Air Force, a coalition of more than a million parents who are fighting to safeguard the environment. Children from all over the country flew in and participated in a butterfly making workshop with Ben & Katherine (MISTER and MISSUS G), creating a colorful backdrop for their concert on the National Mall. The next day, children joined the duo onstage and sang MISTER G’s bilingual, environmental songs in front of the Capitol Building before heading up the hill to lobby their elected officials.
Once the concert was over, the paper butterflies were packed up and sent to our friends in Mexico, where they were distributed to school children as part of a symbolic migration. This exchange program connects children on both sides of the border, highlighting the responsibility that they share as stewards of the environment and protectors of the pollinator's habitat.
MISTER G continues to tour internationally, broadening the collaboration between children in the US and Mexico.
Visit MISTER G’s Author page here.
