Excited about our annual Monarch Festival? Check out these wonderful books. Learn more about the Monarch Butterfly, it’s amazing life cycle, and the insect’s migration from the United States to South America with our informational books, or share a story or two about wiggly caterpillars and fluttery butterflies.
Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons
This informational picture book describes the life cycle, body parts, and behavior of the monarch butterfly. Includes instructions on how to raise a monarch.
Available formats: Book, Ebook (Hoopla)
Señorita Mariposa by Mister G
This bilingual picture book explores the Monarch Butterfly’s migration from Canada to Mexico with lyrical text. Enjoy bright whimsical illustrations and the author’s note on how to help protect monarch butterflies.
Available formats: Book
Fly, Butterfly by Bonnie Bader
Did you know that every year hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies migrate 2,500 miles to Mexico for the winter? It takes four generations of butterflies to make the trip, and only the fourth generation lives longer than three weeks. Follow a beautiful butterfly as she makes her journey down to Mexico!
Available formats: Book
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Follows the progress of a hungry little caterpillar as he eats his way through a varied and very large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep and wakes up a butterfly.
Available formats: Book
Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin
Illustrations and rhyming text follow ten caterpillars as one wriggles up a flower stem, another sails across a garden pool, and one reaches an apple leaf, where something amazing happens.
Available formats: Book
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat–and how?
With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert provides clear answers to these and other questions as she follows the life cycle of four common butterflies, from their beginnings as tiny hidden eggs and hungry caterpillars to their transformation into full-grown butterflies. Complete with butterfly and flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden, this butterfly book is like no other.
Available formats: Book, Audiobook (Hoopla)
Fly, Butterfly, Fly! by Dana Meachen Rau
This informational picture book describes characteristics and behaviors of butterflies.
Available formats: Book
Butterfly House by Eve Bunting
With the help of her grandfather, a little girl makes a house for a larva and watches it develop before setting it free, and every summer after that butterflies come to visit her.
Available formats: Book
Hurry and the Monarch by Antoine Ó Flatharta
Hurry the tortoise befriends a monarch butterfly when she stops in his garden in Wichita Falls, Texas, during her migration from Canada to Mexico. Includes facts about monarch butterflies.
Available formats: Book
Gotta go! Gotta go! by San Swope
Although she does not know why or how, a small creepy-crawly bug is certain that she must make her way to Mexico.
Available formats: Book
The Family Butterfly Book: Discover the Joy of Attracting, Raising & Nurturing Butterflies by Rick Mikula
Enjoy this informational book that includes: projects, activities, and a field guide to 40 favorite North American species.
Available formats: Book
Butterflies by Rachel Bach
This informational picture book uses words and language age appropriate for emergent readers. Learn about the life cycle of butterflies.
Available formats: Ebook (Hoopla)
Life Cycle of a Butterfly by Karen Latchana Kenney
In this book, readers will learn about the incredible transformation caterpillars make into some of the most beautiful flying insects on the planet. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage readers as they learn more about every stage of the butterfly’s life cycle.
Available formats: Book
The Life Cycle of a Butterfly by Bobbie Kalman
This book describes the various stages of a monarch butterfly’s life, from egg to pupa to caterpillar to butterfly, as well as its migration and dangers that it faces. Informational illustrations add to the facts presented in this picture book.
Available formats: Book
Monarch Butterflies by Rebecca E. Hirsch
When the seasons change, many animals migrate to new homes. Readers will learn about these fascinating creatures in Nature’s Great Journeys. This series explores the physical features, behaviors, and histories of migratory animals with easy-to-read text and vivid images. A great informational book for elementary students.
Available formats: Ebook (Hoopla)
Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar by Clare Jarrett
A little girl feeds a tiny caterpillar and watches him grow into a butterfly.
Available formats: Book
Butterfly & Moth by Paul Ernest Stutton Whalley
This informational book is part of the DK eyewitness book series. This book looks at the life cycle of different species of butterflies and moths. It explores classification and endangered species.
Available formats: Book
Butterfly Garden by Margaret McNamara
Mrs. Connor’s first-graders watch as caterpllars slowly turn into butterflies in the butterfly garden at Robin Hill School.
Available formats: Book
Making Butterfly Gardens by Dana Meachen Rau
This informational book introduces gardening basics, describes what to plant to attract butterflies, and discusses their physical characteristics, behaviors, and eating habits.
Available formats: Book
A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts
This picture book’s colorful illustrations accompany simple poetic text that explores an incredible variety of butterflies.
Available formats: Book
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