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In the rush of everyday life and the constant demand for new information, we seldom head for the children’s book section, instead going straight to the newsstand.

Each day, we ground our soul in reality by keeping up with breaking stories and deciding our plans for tomorrow. But to have “The Butterflies of Victor,” a new book by French writer Virginie Kasse and Indonesian graphic artist Melissa Sunjaya, open in my lap is to rest my mind from such endless chores and settle in a wonderland.

“The Butterflies of Victor” tells the story of a little boy with the power to bring happiness. In the hands of another author it may have ended up being childish, but Kasse lends a touch of her romantic, poetic French soul to “Victor,” which ends up less like a story and more like a poem that calls for happiness and contentment at heart. It is a lesson that can be appreciated by both children and adults.

The 36-page book can be read in less than five minutes, but Melissa’s heartfelt illustrations make for lasting enjoyment. Like other work of hers, “Victor” displays Melissa’s signature penstrokes and ink sketches in dreamy, candy colors. To enter Victor’s world is to be awed by Melissa’s imagination, which is filled with blooming flowers, fluttering butterflies and mythical creatures.

Melissa and Kasse met two years ago at a French community bazaar in Jakarta. Their daughter and son go to the same school, which naturally brought them together. As two creative people fascinated by design, they ended up working together on the project.

The character Victor was inspired by Kasse’s son, also named Victor, who came home from school one day to tell his mother that he felt butterflies in his stomach after meeting a girl he liked. Kasse soon began to write about a boy with special powers, a mix of magician and sorcerer, but above all, still a normal boy. Through Melissa’s sketches, Victor appears as a shirtless, happy boy who is always surrounded by butterflies. For Melissa, he is a boy who will never grow up, as he is constantly happy.

Melissa cares about details. Last year, she created her own version of the alphabet, inspired from the Russian one, for an art exhibition. With such an eye for detail, it is hardly surprising that Melissa spent all of last year trying to imagine Victor’s world. She kept an eye open to inspiration while traveling to Bali, Frankfurt and cities in Switzerland and France. One sad gentleman character in “Victor” was inspired by her sketches from Nice, France, in May last year.

Melissa takes inspiration for her flowery illustrations from dandelions and marigolds. She was also inspired to learn that the word for butterfly in ancient Greek is “psyche,” which means “soul.” For the Chinese, the butterfly is a symbol of love.

To infuse a sense of affection to the book, Melissa added an ancient Hindi element of love, selflessness, empathy and devotion through the anahata chakra symbol, which ends up as a necklace that Victor wears in the illustrations.

The original book, written by Kasse in French under the title “Les Papillons de Victor,” was later translated into English and Indonesian. It is available for Rp 120,000 ($13) and is sold exclusively at Melissa’s shop, Tulisan, in Dharmawangsa Square, South Jakarta.

For Melissa, Tulisan channels her creativity and emotions. “Victor” launched last month as part of Tulisan’s second anniversary celebrations. When I stumbled upon a stall for Tulisan in a bazaar two years ago, I thought it was a book publisher. Tulisan in Indonesian means “writing,” but it is not just a reference to the written word, it also relates to the delicate hand-painted designs that adorn some batik fabrics.

Melissa writes her stories through colors, shapes and patterns, and hopes that people will enjoy them on other pretty things, such as tunics, tea towels, breakfast sets, pouches, tote bags and stationery.

The release of “Victor” seems to have completed the meaning of Tulisan. Here’s to more to come.

The Butterflies of Victor
By Virginie Kasse
Illustrated by Melissa Sunjaya
36 pages

Tulisan
Darmawangsa Square City Walk
Jl. Darmawangsa VI, South Jakarta
Tel. 021 72780235
mytulisan.com