Do you think butterflies belong to hot summer days?
Butterflies are part of spring too! (And fall and winter, depending on where you live.)
Monarch butterflies are the most well known butterflies. Most of them spend the winter in Mexico and California. Then, in March, they start their journey north. During this time, other common North American species start to emerge as well.
If you have a garden, you can find caterpillars munching on your new plants over the spring and summer. Yes, they can be nuisances.
As adults, though, many butterfly species help to pollinate plants. They are nectar-seekers, after all—just like bees!
Beautiful, helpful, and just a tad mysterious? Sounds like it’s time to pick up a few picture books and learn more about butterflies!
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If you want to avoid shopping on Amazon, I suggest checking Bookshop or your local bookstores instead.
Favorite Books for Kids:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle – you may have read this book already. It’s worth revisiting and talking about a butterfly’s metamorphosis.
Let’s Count Butterflies, by Susan R. Stoltz, illustrated by Cody Cooper Haufman – this is a simple counting board book. It introduces kids to a variety of butterfly species and bright colors.
A Butterfly Is Patient, by Dianna Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long – any book by this author is worth reading. This one is a long-time favorite, and it shows all kinds of bright and wonderful butterflies.
Butterfly Counting, by Jerry Pallotta and Shennen Bersani – so many butterflies! This counting book for older children offers fun facts about
butterflies mixed in with the numbers.
The Butterfly Alphabet Book, by Brian Cassie, Jerry Pallotta, and Mark Astrella – after numbers come letter! This fun alphabet book shows butterflies around the world with a butterfly for every letter.
Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries – a very simple, engaging book about the butterfly biology. It asks kids to pretend that they are a butterfly as they learn more about these gorgeous insects.
From Caterpillar to Butterfly, by Deborah Heiligman, illustrated
by Bari Weissman – can a classroom raise a caterpillar? This is a stage 1 reader, so it has simple, easy text for beginning readers.
Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies, by Mel Boring, illustrations
by Linda Garrow – a good field guide for younger children. It offers simple, easy-to understand information about butterflies (and a few other bug species).
A Place for Butterflies, by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Higgins Bond
– a mix of simple read-aloud and detailed information. This book looks at what butterflies need to survive and the challenges they face today.
Monarch Butterfly, by Gail Gibbons – a classic nonfiction book! It’s also a fun read as kids learn more about these beautiful creatures.
Señorita Mariposa,by Ben Gundersheimer (Mister G), illustrated by
Marcos Almada Rivero – a cute bilingual English/Spanish book. It’s also a song, so kids can listen to the musical version while they read this lovely picture book.
Summer Birds, by Margarita Engle – who first studied metamorphosis? This picture books tells the true story of a young woman who loved butterflies and drew them for science.
Books for older children (or adults!)
When Butterflies Cross the Sky: The Monarch Butterfly Migration, by Sharon Katz Cooper, illustrated by Joshua S. Brunet – a bit longer, more informational book. This picture book follows the Monarchs on their journey across a continent.
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies, by Joyce Sidman – the story of Maria Merian. This woman grew up in 17th Century Germany, when most artists were men. Maria became one of the earliest entomologists and one of the first artist-scientists to realize that caterpillars turned into butterflies. It’s a fascinating story and a fun way to add a little history to your nature studies.
Nature Study Activities
Ready to learn more about butterflies? Try one of these hands-on projects and see what you can create!
- Create collage butterflies using the style from Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Paint a piece of paper with bright, bold colors. Then cut this paper into two circles (lower wings), two hearts (upper wings). Using a solid color section of a piece of construction paper, cut a thin oval (body). Assemble the butterfly and glue the pieces onto a blank page. Use a marker or pencil to add antennae, eyes, and other details.
- Use play dough or clay to create a model butterfly or caterpillar. Make sure to include all the basic body parts for a butterfly. It should have three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen), six legs, two antennae, and four wings.
- When you find a caterpillar outside, create a terrarium and watch it for a couple of days! If you find the caterpillar on a plant, make sure you collect some leaves too for it to eat. Otherwise, gather a variety of leaves and add some lettuce or other veggies. (Some online stores offer butterfly kits. These can be a good way to watch caterpillars grow, but they can also introduce new diseases to an area. Please research this before trying it.)
- Start a list or a nature journal showing all the butterfly species and caterpillars you find this year. Draw each one in a notebook or take pictures and make prints. Can you identify each butterfly? Where does it live? What does its caterpillars look like? What plants does it need?
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