The Firefly Cure

May/June 2008 Issue | Posted by Elizabeth Yank in Features

My children and I devour picture books. On rare occasions, we find a book that magically transports us into another world. Its breathtaking illustrations and captivating story steal our hearts and minds. Hana in the Time of the Tulips is one such book.

Although it is a story about a young girl growing up in the Netherlands long ago, it is a book that transcends time, as well as the borders of any country. It is al­ so a tribute to the genius of Rem­ brandt, reflected in the gorgeous illustrations of Bagram Ibatoulline.

As my daughter Kateri said, “It is a story about Hana and her father.”

On the cover, a sweet little Dutch girl stands in the midst of a vast field of red and gold tulips. She smiles shyly as she holds a bouquet of brightly colored tulips. The subheading emblazoned across the cover could easily be “Little Girl Conquers the World Through Her Beloved Father’s Heart.”

The story opens in the evening with Hana and Papa playing a familiar, favorite game of doctor and patient in the garden. Papa, the patient, has “fainted” once again on the bench and Hana, the illustrious doctor, bending over Papa and listening “anxiously to his heart,” prescribes a cure. It could be “a kiss. Or a race to the woodpile. Or a noseful of roses.”

Our first impression is the joy the little girl has in spending time with her father.

They don’t do anything elaborate. They simply spend time together enjoying one another’s company in a simple game. We also see a rather ordinary man, a bit portly and not so young anymore, like many of the people Rembrandt painted. While he is not ugly, her Papa is certainly not Prince Charming.

He is also not a same-age playmate; he is her Papa, her hero.

She obviously prefers the company of her Papa to any other person. At the same time, you can see the father’s love for his daughter.

But money changes everything.

A consumerist wave grips Holland, and these treasured moments disappear. Overwhelmed with the desire to become rich, Papa becomes blind to his greatest riches. What can Hana do to remind him of their evening walks in the garden together?

We then see an expansive overview of Papa’s property, with its extensive fields, gardens, and groves. Hana and Franz the dachshund are playing happily in a small, gated yard as Papa and his friends gather outside on one of the paths to discuss tulip trading.

The black of the men’s suits and hats contrasts sharply with the splashes of white on Hana’s cap, collar, and sleeves. Overall, the beauty of the lines of symmetry of the stately homes and gardens and color of God’s creation are impressive.

Hana asks why the tulips don’t make Papa and his friends happy. Her mother replies, “Because they do not see them.” They sell them.

So her mother challenges her to help her Papa remember “what a tulip is.”

When Papa tucks Hana in that night, he asks the “good doctor Hana” to prescribe something to “keep away dark thoughts.”

Later, Hana asks her nurse, “What cures dark thoughts?” The nurse replies by capturing fireflies. As Hana peers into Nurse’s cupped hands, the glowing fireflies light up Hana’s face, creating an absolutely mesmerizing picture, reminding both my daughters and me of all the times that they too have chased after fireflies and how they seem to light up like magic and fade away.

Thrilled at solving the puzzle, Hana saves the fireflies, but Papa does not see their luminous glow.

At this point, the painter Rembrandt pops in to say goodnight. When Hana complains about always drawing the same things, Rembrandt admonishes Hana that “Seeing is more than looking.”

When the fireflies don’t cheer Papa, Hana asks Cook, “What cures frowning?” Cook tells her that daisies are the key, so Hana spends the whole afternoon weaving a chain of daisies.

With a smile that outshines any daisy, Hana presents Papa with “nature’s simple smile.” Since my daughter Emily likes to pick flowers, this is one of her favorite pictures, especially because of Hana’s bright, sunny smile.

Papa laughs, but he is still not happy. Engrossed in his thoughts, he does not see them or her enchanting smile.

As if things could not get any worse, the tulip market crashes.

Papa fears he has lost everything, and shuts himself up in his library. Now, Hana is more determined than ever to bring back her Papa’s smile. With the help of Cook, Nurse, Mother, and Gardener, Hana hatches a plan. She just hopes it is not too late.

Throughout the story we see a constant parade of gifts from Hana to her Papa. They remind me of the many gestures of love my young children give me — a bouquet of dandelions, the notes scribbled with “I luv You,” the silly smooches.

These simple signs of love are presented alongside the beauty of God’s creation. The spectacular illustrations bring to life the mystery of fireflies glowing, a tulip bobbing gaily in the wind, or the beauty of a father’s familiar face to a child.

With stunning illustrations, Ibatou­ lline demonstrates that “Seeing is more than looking.” Our greatest riches can’t be found out there in the world. They are here, in the fleeting moments that we share with our children.

If only we can see them.

Elizabeth Yank writes from

South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  

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