The Life Cycles of Butterflies

THE LIFE CYCLES OF BUTTERFLIES
by Judy Burris & Wayne Richards
Storey Publishing, 2006

Category: Middle grade nonfiction

Since I shared my favorite recent adult book on butterflies, I decided it was only fair to share my favorite recent kids book on butterflies. I treated myself to a copy of THE LIFE CYCLES OF BUTTERFLIES while visiting the live butterfly exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History this weekend … and read it cover-to-cover on the train ride home. It is perfect for new butterfly hunters struggling to identify the species in their own backyard.

The book is written by brother and sister butterfly lovers who remember well their early days of butterflying. They’ve included lots of visual information, including photographs of twenty-three common garden butterflies in all four life stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. If you know a kid looking for a butterfly field guide, consider this one; it may not be comprehensive as far as species go, but it is a truly great place to start.

And while you are waiting for a copy of the book to arrive, check out the authors’ website; it’s brimming with life cycle photographs and teacher resources.