Who hasn’t suppressed a giggle or wiped away a tear after hearing a child’s perspective on life or loved ones? Mary Ann Casler and Tona Pearce Myers went to schools, playgrounds, churches, and family gatherings to collect the gems that make up Butterfly Kisses. The stories, accompanied by kids’ illustrations, reflect a wide variety of backgrounds and beliefs, but they all convey the joys and difficulties inherent in growing up. The book is divided into sections such as “What I’ve Learned So Far,” where children offer such sage advice to younger siblings as “If you lie down with dogs, they might fall asleep on your lap.” About God, one child quips, “I know that God loves everybody, but he never met my sister.” Offering laughs as well as unexpected insights, Butterfly Kisses shows that children, in spite of their seeming indifference to the adults around them, are indeed listening to — and often repeating — what grown-ups have to say.