Monarch Butterflies
Explore the Life Journey of One of the Winged Wonders of the World

by Ann Hobbie  (Author), Olga Baumert (Illustrator)

April 27, 2021

Storey Publishing

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Blurb: Monarchs are a favorite and familiar North American butterfly, and their incredible annual migration has captured the popular imagination for generations. As populations of monarchs decline dramatically due to habitat loss and climate change, interest in and enthusiasm for protecting these beloved pollinators has skyrocketed. With easy-to-read text and colorful, engaging illustrations, Monarch Butterflies presents young readers with rich, detailed information about the monarchs’ life cycle, anatomy, and the wonders of their signature migration, as well as how to raise monarchs at home and the cultural significance of monarchs in Day of the Dead celebrations. As the book considers how human behavior has harmed monarchs, it offers substantive ways kids can help make a positive difference. Children will learn how to turn lawns into native plant gardens, become involved in citizen science efforts such as tagging migrating monarchs and participating in population counts, and support organizations that work to conserve butterflies.

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By now, I think most of us in North America are champions of the beautiful monarch butterfly whose numbers are dwindling. After reading Ann Hobbie’s Monarch Butterflies, a children’s book for ages 7-10, I am even more fervent about making my little land a monarch haven.

Monarch Butterflies is filled with some astonishing facts that will amaze children as they amazed me such as the monarch caterpillar grows to 2000 times its original size or that while the caterpillar has very poor eyesight, the butterfly it will become will have outstanding eyesight. Just imagine!

Hobbie takes her reader from the butterfly’s laying of eggs, through its life as a caterpillar, to it metamorphosis. We all know this happens but to read about the details and understand the process is so much another thing. It’s amazing, really. The reader also learns about the monarch’s favorite food, milkweed; its incredibly long journey from the Eastern US to Mexico (some monarchs will travel as far as 3000 miles!); and that in Mexico, monarchs are part of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) because some believe they are the spirits of the dead returning.

Monarch Butterflies also talks about the monarch habitat, discusses the challenges to monarch survival, how the loss of land and the use of pesticides are decimating the population, and how each one of us can do our part to help the monarchs survive.

The illustrations by Olga Baumert are bright, detailed and so lovely. They are an absolute joy to page through.

Monarch Butterflies would be a wonderful treasure for any child, but I have to say that I enjoyed it and learned so very much from it as well.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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rating: 

5 out of 5 butterflies

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