Becoming Butterflies

What a lovely book this is!! Becoming Butterflies is the story of what happens when Ms. Dana brings in a special milkweed plant and three caterpillars to her classroom. Here we are treated to a story that seamlessly weaves together the narrative (from a students perspective), which gives us a child's eye view of the process and the many activities the kids did as a class as the caterpillars grew and changed and scientific facts...it'd done so well that kids will probably miss the "lesson," learning all about these butterflies right along with the kids in Ms. Dana's class. What I was particularly enjoyed was that the author managed to get the information in there (all of it) without skipping over the FIVE times the caterpillars split our of the skin before they are ready to become a chrysalis. Even after the butterflies break out of their chrysalis, dry their wings, and are released outdoors to migrate to Mexico with much sadness on the students part, the author takes it one step further. She has the teacher tell them that the butterflies are going to Mexico, showing them on a map and the kids then write letters to kids in a school in Mexico who write back and send Ms. Dana's students a lovely photo of a tree FILLEED with butterflies that have migrated there, giving the kids a sense of closure on the whole process. The book really captures that sense of wonder and joy in watching the metamorphosis from start to finish. This is an excellent book fro preschool age kids up to about grade 3, older kids will probably find it too simple, but for younger readers it's an excellent classroom or homeschooling resource! I give it 5 stars and recommend it highly!!

"One day Miss Dana brought a surprise to school-three striped caterpillars and a flowerpot. A green plant called milkweed was growing in the flowerpot." So begins this informative and charming tale about a classroom full of curious children and three caterpillars that become, in time, magnificent Monarch butterflies. As the children watch the metamorphosis, they draw pictures and comment on the process. They also ask the questions readers would like to ask, if they could, thus allowing the author to weave tidbits of information into the story seamlessly. We learn, for example, that when the caterpillar's skin splits for the fifth time, it is ready to become a chrysalis. At story's end, the butterflies, after drying their wings, are set free from an open window. The children watch them go with a mixture of sadness and hope. Thankfully, the author does not end the classroom adventure there (as she might have). Rather, Miss Dana shows the children where Mexico is on a map and tells them the butterflies will eventually go there before the onset of winter. The students then write a letter to schoolchildren at a school in Chincua, Mexico, asking them to "Please take good care of our butterflies." Winter arrives and so does a letter from the students in Chincua, along with a picture of a tree laden with Monarch butterflies. "All of us looked and looked," says the narrator, "wondering which were the three butterflies we hatched in our classroom and set free to fly so far away." Also included is an author's note which gives readers more information about Monarchs as well as an internet resource where they may go for more information. The endpapers at the book's beginning show illustrations of nine different caterpillars. Turning to the back of the book, readers are treated to colorful, detailed illustrations of the butterflies that they become. The illustrations are watercolors that have been cut and then layered, thus creating lively, realistic three-dimensional scenes. We took the book into a second grade classroom to read aloud. The children enjoyed it immensely and asked many thoughtful questions about caterpillars and butterflies. They were especially taken with the illustrations, poring over each page and pointing out details to each other. A definite "must-have" for your classroom. (...)

My preschooler loves this book. It walks through the stages of a butterfly's development in a story format. The illustrations and descriptions are perfect for helping the younger listener/reader imagine what is taking place as the caterpillar grows and changes. It even descibes the migratory patterns of the monarch butterfly. This book does a great job of conveying a lot of factual information while still maintaining the fun of a bedtime story.