This book has an important added editorial distinction even from its big and bitty predecessors, topically, as this book will entice those interested in the symbolic nature of butterflies, as well. It is notable that the butterfly, alone across cultures, has become a symbol for rebirth and resurrection, a concept particularly fitting for current times, this aspect will resonate to expand considerably our audience from art-lovers alone to non-artist aficionados and even to a wider pop culture, new age reader. In our effort to make sure that this broader audience is attracted, the Foreword contributor to the book is British art historian Matthew Wilson, author of the successful Thames & Hudson title (published in 2020), Symbolism in Art. He tackles the relationship between the representation of butterflies by the author to a larger scheme that explicates the historical and philosophical symbolic meanings of butterflies in art. Complementing Wilson''s foreword is a Preface by noted American culture critic, curator, and author himself, Carlo McCormick, who explains the context of Slonem''s place as a world-class artist, specifically in the art world today. This book has an attachment through its topic of butterflies to one of the most popular subjects for readers of nature as well: gardens and gardeners. Slonem is about to premier his first major garden exhibition of sculptures, called Huntopia: Bunnies, Birds, & Butterflies in May of this year at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. So beyond Museums and booksellers, we can solicit arboretums and botanical garden shops for his books.

Many Botanical Gardens serve as unofficial butterfly waystations, making them perfect venues for his butterfly books. The extension of the Bitty series with Birds and Butterflies, based on a more accessible format and pricing is one of theme, as well, allowing new and expanded audiences for the subjects of the books, beyond a mere art archive. The addition of these books allows us to tap into strong and wide audiences in new nature categories. Both Birds and Butterflies serve as this artist''s visual metaphor for consciousness, spirit, and soul as well as a source of wonder and coloristic inspiration, so can work in a New Age section of a bookstore as well as art, and nature categories. The marketing distinction between the big books and the bitty books themselves is that they attract a new and wider set of buyers, based on their topics, presentation and price points. In particular, new readers to the series will appreciate the more affordable price which moves the books out of the singular category of "art" book into pop culture and specific nature subjects for aficionados of these nature subjects. We anticipate that all those buyers of his other books, large and small, will want to complete their collections with Bitty Birds and Bitty Butterflies, or start one with all three now. The $40 Bitty Bunnies book has just recently reprinted for the 6th time; so we anticipate that everyone who admires Slonem and loves nature and art will grab these books at the same pace they have Bitty Bunnies.

Our experience in having both a bitty book and large format book in the same retail space shows that the Bitty Bunnies book, for example, has had no impact whatsoever on its $95 "big brother" books'' sales. Each of these "nature" books are singular in that they deal with one subject with an extended presentation, but the presentation is so exciting based on production values and representation that reader boredom is not an option. In sum, these books will appeal to a broader audience who will find it to be a tool of inspiration on popular subjects as entertainment and gift for themselves or others, along with the books'' assets of fine art. Hunt Slonem: He is known as one of the great colorists of his time with a huge reputation nationally and worldwide, and he travels widely to exhibit his paintings in Museums and Galleries himself. Museums, both domestic and international, have collected his work, among them The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Through these presentations he has the proven capacity to reach and sustain bookselling success worldwide, and will maintain as well his access to art markets . Any museum that is an art museum should be solicited for these books.

Hunt Slonem is widely published in other categories, such as Interior Design, so booksellers know him for his breadth of interest and talents and he can be found in "home decorating" on many booksellers'' shelves. Note that although Slonem is widely published, G Editions is the only publisher of his nature works, which are his most long-standing, bestselling and beloved by the author himself. He is moving increasingly into the Botanical Garden space, and planning to expand his profile for immersive Garden Experiences like the one in San Antonio this May. He has a large social media following, with over 150k followers on Instagram. He is also known and published as a "rescuer" of historic buildings--having restored three plantations in Louisiana; an armory in Scranton, PA, a former Gilded Era residence in Central New York State, and a castle in Massachusetts--so he is well-known to the general public where he has received notable press and access in those circles, and most importantly for us, numerous books published by other publishers on these topics, making him someone known to the book-buyers through long-term and varied exposure to his books. The contributors to these books (Preface/Forward writers) are also "names" in the literary world that will be known to booksellers.