A Butterfly Called Hope

PreS-Gr 2—A little girl is in her mother's garden when she spies an unusual caterpillar. Her mother takes her and the insect to a butterfly center where they discover that their caterpillar will turn into a monarch butterfly. Taking the creature home, the girl is able to observe what happens during its life cycle. Monroe does an excellent job using appropriate scientific vocabulary along with dialogue to keep readers interested. The text is large and bold, making it accessible to emerging readers. There is also limited text on each page, which keeps the book from being too long for a read-aloud. The photographs are clear and help delineate the action, making it equally useful in elementary classrooms or with families exploring the subject. There is a "For Creative Minds" section that also helps extend the text; it includes a diagram of the butterfly's life cycle, vocabulary matching, and additional facts about monarchs.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ