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The Butterfly: Sensitive illustrations of a French girl and her Jewish friend during WWII

For Patricia Polacco's The Butterfly, American fine artist and illustrator Basya Cohen creates emotional yet sensitive illustrations to help tell the story in which a French girl builds a secret friendship with a Jewish girl who is hiding in her house during WWII.

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A street scene during WWII with two girls standing on a red-brick pavement whilst soldiers and Nazi flags are visible in the distance behind them.

Each beautiful artwork shares the sentiment of friendship, despite the circumstances – although there is an underlying feeling of dread, and an understanding that things are never quite as relaxed or happy as they might seem. It's a touching series that reminds us of the horror of that era, and why we must never allow it to happen again.

Speaking of her general work, Basya said: "I love to bring out the natural beauty in people and landscapes and tell or suggest a story. I fuse fine art with illustration by bringing a fine art look to children's picture books. I wish for my artwork to inspire and bring joy to children and adults, and through it make the world a better place.

Basya was born and raised in Metro-Detroit. After graduating high school she travelled to England to study Art & Design at Manchester College. There, she earned a Distinction for her work. She then completed her Bachelor of Arts in Humanities from Thomas Edison State College in 2009. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Discover more at www.basyacohen.com.

Discovered via Behance

Two girls sit on a bed by a window, one holding a butterfly, in an illustration from The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco
A girl in a pink dress watches with delight as butterflies flutter around her in a sunlit garden, whilst her companion kneels beside her among flowers and foliage
Two girls sit on a bed in a sunlit bedroom; one in a pink top looks towards the other in a blue top who sits at the foot of the bed, with large windows casting grid shadows on the wall behind them
A girl in a pink cardigan reaches towards a man's hand in a garden, with blue flowers and shadows cast across the green grass beside a brick building
Two figures in dark coats embrace on a tree-lined country road as a vintage car approaches in the distance under a clouded sky
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