Monarch Butterfly

by Gail Gibbons

Introduce young readers to the fascinating process of how catepillars become butterflies.

Follow the transformation from a tiny white egg laid on a leaf to a brilliantly colored butterfly in this kid-friendly introduction to metamorphosis.  With detailed, bright watercolors, Gail Gibbons illustrates the life cycle of the monarch butterfly, stage by stage, as it grows, changes, and takes flight.

With clear, labeled diagrams and simple text that defines and reinforces important vocabulary, Monarch Butterfly introduces key concepts of insect anatomy and behavior.  And of course, the unique migration of the monarch-- which can range up to four thousand miles-- is covered, with descriptions of how the insects travel, and how people in their path celebrate the occasion.

This classic look at butterflies also includes directions on raising your own monarch at home, and a page of fun facts about these colorful butterflies.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Childrens, Education

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1989

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Abbie Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars because it's a classic! I also really enjoyed all of the information it packed into a relatively short picture book about the science behind a monarch butterfly. The images were realistic in a sense where you can tell that they are drawings, but perfect for a child.

Monarch butterfly follows the process of a monarch laying an egg all the way to the "baby" monarch being born. One thing that stood out to me was the way that the books uses phonetic spelling for certain words that may be tough for younger readers to read. This is super helpful, as they are larger and bolder in the text as well. There are also diagrams in the book, making it feel like a science text book. One of the pages of the book is just a diagram of the monarch butterflies body and what all of the parts are called. Another diagram was of North America and shows where these monarch butterflies travel during different seasons. One thing that intrigued me about these illustrations was the fact that the monarch butterfly is super detailed and almost even looks like a real image, where everything else is pretty blurry and not nearly as detailed. This draws the readers attention right to the butterfly, where it is supposed to be. Also, there is not much orange in the book besides the butterfly which is important in making sure that we see that first and foremost.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a 3.5 for me, and any educator worth his/her/their salt will marvel at the colors used in the illustrations of the beautiful monarch butterfly. There's probably nothing more pleasing to the eye than seeing one of those colorful creatures lighting on a blossom or fluttering through the air. In this book, Gail Gibbons introduces youngsters to these butterflies, beginning with a small egg laid on a milkweed plant, and then following it through the various steps of its life cycle as a larva, caterpillar, chrysalis, and finally, a butterfly. She even discusses how some butterflies, those born in spring and the first part of summer, have very short lives, while others, born in the middle of the summer, head to warmer climates once cool temperatures arrive, staying there during the winter, and then flying back home once it warms up again. The book also contains instructions for how to raise a monarch butterfly, but anyone interested in doing so needs to make sure that the area where they are released has the kinds of plant food they prefer. This is an updated version of the original book published in 1989, proving once again that Gail Gibbons is the Grande Dame of life science and topics related to nature. This book, as with her others, is perfect for an elementary science classroom library and a must-have for anyone planning a lesson about butterflies or the life cycle.

[Ashlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monarch Butterfly shows the progression and life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. Through this text we learn about the how and where the Monarch lays its egg, what happens once the egg hatches, the life of the caterpillar until it goes into its cocoon and then the journey it takes once it breaks free of the cocoon, like its migration pattern. This book also includes a how to guide to find and hatch a Monarch butterfly and then how to set it free.

It was really cool to learn in so much detail about monarch butterflies. The images that were drawn are incredible and help in the understanding of each aspect of the butterfly itself and its life cycle. I also shows how to correctly care for a monarch butterfly if you choose to hatch one yourself and the correct methods on how to release it.

Some books that could be paired with this would be Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, The Amazing Life Cycle of Butterflies by Kay Barnham, A Frog’s Life by Irene Kelly and so on! There are so many life cycle books!

A writing assignment for this text could be to write and draw all of the stages of the life cycle of the butterfly. The could also choose another animal to complete the life cycle about depending on what is being worked on.

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. The book starts off with a butterfly laying its egg on a leaf. After the butterfly lays its egg the book then follows the eggs journey. When it first hatches it is only just a caterpillar, then it gets into a chrysalis. It stays in the chrysalis until it turns from a grayish green color to clear. Then the butterfly comes out. Finally the books talks about the how the monarch butterfly migrates to warmer places during the winter, like Mexico. The end of the book even gives instructions on how to raise on monarch butterfly. I gave this book four stars because although it is very informative, I feel as though it is a bit wordy for its age range, which is 5-7. Even though it tends to be wordy, the book does give explanations as to how to pronounce the harder words. I also liked that there was a diagram that showed what different parts of the butterfly were called. Another reason I liked this book was because of the instructions on how to raise a monarch butterfly, I think that it would be a cool project for kids to do with their parents, or even to do in the classroom.

[Lori Laws · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a top notch life cycle book! This is a WOW book for me because I was very impressed with all that this book had to offer. Each step is detailed and interesting. There is a diagram of the parts of a butterfly. The migration process is discussed, and a map explains it as well. How can we see the butterfly life cycle in real life?...the book explains that as well!
Butterfly life cycles are always a win with the kids! This book could be used as a read aloud in Kindergarten through second grade. Third grade and up may want to read this for a group project, as a buddy read, or independent read.
I would start my (first grade) Life Cycle unit by using this book as a read aloud, and then I would model sorting the different steps of a butterfly. Then, for guided reading groups, I would have students read leveled text on other lifecycles, such as frogs, and have them do a life cycle sort as well.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good one to read to kids in a Prek-2nd grade classroom i believe. It teaches the student about how monarch butterflies become butterflies! My mom teaches kindergarten, and she reads this book to her students at the end of the year, to teach them about the butterflies. They always respond well and are very interested in the process. My mom also then buys the butterfly eggs and grows the butterflies in her classroom so the students can see in real life how they grow, and the students always love this. In my own classroom, i would do a similar lesson to that, because the kids always respond super well to having real butterflies in the class. This is a great book to get them started for that, to teach them everything about the butterflies.

[Abby Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Awards (None)
2. Grade Level- K-6
3. Summary- This book is an informational book about monarch butterflies and their life cycles. It includes many scientific facts about monarch butterflies and their migration. It also includes how to make a home for a monarch caterpillar, and take care of it until it turns into a butterfly.
4. Review- The illustrations are very beautiful and specifically detailed. Even young children can look at the pictures without being able to understand the words and learn about butterflies. It is very informative, yet wordy and lengthy.
5. In class uses- life cycles, bugs, geography, preservation of nature

[Shaniqua Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monarch butterfly by Gail Gibbons was a very informative book on how butterflies become and how they survive in the world with the climate change. It talked about the different stages that a butterfly has to go though to become a butterfly, from the egg, to the cocoon, to the beautiful butterfly. This book was a picture book but also a work of nonfiction. I think this book will be great for kids because some may see butterflies flying around but wonder how they become. The book could also be a messaged used for the kids to help them understand that we all start out as something small and within a time period we evolve into a beautiful healthy butterfly.

[Kelsy Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The version of this book I had the pleasure of reading was a copy of the big book. I found this to be so beneficial to young learners. This book had real photographs of the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. It shows each stage and up close photos of what each cycle looks like. I would read this book in my classroom for sure. I found this book to be informative and pleasing to the eye as the photos are very interesting. Students can really enjoy a copy of the big book during circle time or small group. The photos are much more enlarged and easier to see the details.

[Jaden Burdick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book, for someone who would be interested in learning about butterflies. Informational text was never my cup of tea, but this was not too bad. I learned a lot about butterflies, so this would be a great book to have in class for a science lesson on the process of a butterfly. I would also follow up or before this book, read hungry caterpillar or something fictional.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a new and updated version which I will be gifting to my grandson. This is a terrific book with great illustrations. It tells the life story of the Monarch Butterfly and even gives instructions on how to raise one. I'm not sure my daughter will be too keen on planting Milkweed in her garden though.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

From egg to caterpillar to butterfly, the story of how they live.

Simple, direct, and colorful. It was request read by kindergarteners and they were happy they knew some of the terms and materials.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written illustrated book about the monarch butterflies. It is neat seeing how the butterfly comes about and all the changes it goes through. This books has science in a fun way that can help kids learn.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. It goes over the life cycle of the monarch butterfly in way that is accessible to kids but with enough detail to make it worth the read. The extra information at the end about how to raise a Monarch and also the fun little facts about them were excellent additions.

[Jaelyn Cloepfil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful story takes you through the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. The author beautifully explains each stage through captivating words and illustrations. This would be an amazing read aloud in a k-2 class! I would love this to lead into a butterfly unit.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I have read from this author before I knew that the information presented would be constructed in an appropriate way for children. I believe this book gives great details on the monarch butterfly.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful children's book about the life cycle of the amazing monarch. I like the ending that explained how to raise and release monarchs. Illustrations are beautiful. Paired very well with The Butterfly’s Daughter that we read in Book Group.

[Tanja Nayak · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that tells the life story of the Monarch Butterfly from egg to caterpillar, to chrysalis, and finally to butterfly. Also includes information about their migration. A wonderful book for educators.

[Stella Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the perfect level for me. It taught me about Monarch butterflies. It also had a lot of pictures. I loved the pictures.

[Dalton Prather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The butterflies were super pretty. Wonderful artwork.

[Molly Rhymer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-Fiction. Follows the life-cycle of the monarch butterfly, step by step.

[Laura Aleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually learned something too! Monarch butterflies can migrate back to the exact tree where their ancestors did.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated to include some new migration info and a double page spread instructing kiddos on how to raise -- and safely release -- a monarch.

[Christopher Lepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and enjoyable story about this amazing butterfly.

[Jody Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's like The Very Hungry Caterpillar but chockablock with science.

[Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Simple, attractive, but good amount of info for 4-8 year olds!

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

very informative and nicely illustrated.

[Natalie Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great picture book intro to a monarch unit.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gift from a parent (from my first K class!) and the copy she gave me is an updated one. Illustrations are concise and text is through. Recommended.

[Viviana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9 stars
Not really sure there was enough detail about retrieving the leaves .fresh or not for keeping one in a jar at the end of enough detail in general, maybe for that