Arlo Needs Your Help

by Cortney Cino, Olga Sall (Illustrator)

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens

36 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

Hi from California! Thanks for stopping by. I am honored to have you read and review my books. Feel free to also engage with me in the following ways:

Amazon Author Profile
www.amazon.com/author/ccino

Email List:
www.whimspirebooks.com/contact-us

Instagram:
www.instagram.com/whimspirebooks/

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/whimspirebooks

Reviews

[Bridget Sadenwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review. Arlo Needs Your Help is a nicely illustrated children’s book with a lovely message. The story follows Arlo, a caterpillar who finds himself trapped in a plastic container, and invites young readers to interact with the book to help free him. This interactive element makes the story especially fun and engaging for kids.

Afterward, the book gently introduces the life cycle of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, making it both entertaining and educational. I especially appreciated the ending, which includes facts about monarch butterflies.

This is a sweet, thoughtful book that encourages curiosity, compassion, and learning. I would absolutely read this to my grandchildren. Five stars!

[Letsxeeit · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review.

This book is a delightful read that perfectly balances fun with learning. The illustrations are absolutely brilliant, making the caterpillar’s transformation feel both easy to follow and incredibly engaging for kids. It’s such a great tool for sparking curiosity in young readers, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for an interactive, high-quality story for their next storytime.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many things to NetGalley and the author for my review copy.

The educational, colorful and interactive story was fabulous. I loved the illustrations with the bright colors and cute characters.

Even more so I loved the education about our pollinator friends that need as much attention as possible these days! I know when my kids were younger, they loved books that helped engage them physically as we read, so that aspect was also great!

Highly recommend!

[Lisa Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So delightful! Arlo is trapped and needs help getting out. Some kids thought they were being helpful but they didn't realize he was getting ready to go through his transition to become a gorgeous Monarch butterfly.
The pictures are so bright and the text is easy to follow. This is an excellent science resource for young readers.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a precious book!! I loved this book from start to finish. It tells a sweet, engaging story about the butterfly life cycle as Atlo begins her journey to become a monarch butterfly. I really liked how the author encourages kids to take part by asking them to help Atlo along the way. The illustrations are bright and clear, making the transformation easy to understand and fun to follow.

This book sparks curiosity and leads to great questions, which makes it perfect for reading aloud. I highly recommend it to parents, teachers, and caregivers looking for a fun, interactive story for storytime.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the author & the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

[Madyson Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc Review!

Such a cute read, very fun interactive and educational. Read to my twin daughters!

[Little Bitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arlo Needs Your Help is about a caterpillar on the brink of turning into a butterfly. It explains the caterpillar to butterfly cycle in an informative, but whimsical way. Kids would be able to understand the process, but also enjoy the colorful illustrations and sweet character. This book would be good for younger elementary aged students.

Thanks to Whimpsire Books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story that teaches about monarch caterpillars and their metamorphosis process. My kid loved that it was interactive!

[Casey Densmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww this was such a cute story about a caterpillar and it's life cycle. We are learning about life cycles in my second grade classroom, so I could really see myself reading this to my class as an introduction to the life cycle of a butterfly. I could also see reading this book before a butterfly project so students knew what to expect as their caterpillars turned into butterflies. This book is told in second person, so it really catches children's interest because they feel like it's being spoken directly to them. Even though there is information in this story, it is told in a fun, engaging way. There are parts in the book, like when you are scaring predators away, where I could see getting kids actively participating to scare each predator away. The illustrations are bright, beautiful, and detailed. I especially liked the illustrations that showed how the chrysalis changed over the 14 days. The font is a perfect choice and it changes as different things happen, which draws in children's interest because it's unique and fun! I really see so many learning opportunities in this book for the classroom and reading at home. There is a section towards the back that gives more information about Monarch Butterflies. It sounds like the printed version will come with a poster! I think this would be a wonderful addition to any child's library! I know I'm excited to add it to my classroom library soon!

Thank you Cortney Cino and Whimspire Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book via NetGalley! This review was written voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love, love, love everything about Cortney Cino's Arlo Needs Your Help. Olga Sall's illustrations are bright and beautiful, the book is educational and interactive, and it's genuinely a fun read for literally any kiddo. I think the piece about this that impressed me the most was definitely the interactive aspect, something I think would be great for parents but also for teachers in the classroom—I can already imagine all the great ways that this book could be incorporated into both storytime and science class!

But there's some great educational content in here about conservation and the monarch butterfly. It also does a wonderful job of pointing out the dangers of catching and locking up caterpillars in bug boxes—something I definitely engaged in as a child and should really be discussed with kids a little more often, in my opinion—and encourages children to ensure that these beautiful creatures have the ability to exist in the world as they should.

The story follows the metamorphosis journey of a caterpillar into a butterfly in one of the most fun ways that I've ever seen and, I'll be honest, I'd pick this one to read to kids long before I bothered with The Hungry Caterpillar. Definitely worth picking up and something I'll be adding to my repertoire of books for the future.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Megan | _The.Brunette.Bookworm_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone that raised Monarchs in Florida for years, and watched hundreds transform. The illustrations and education this book taught my class was amazing! The steps and way the author truly shows how you should watch and care for a caterpillar was so sweet. The writing is beautiful, and Courtney Cino makes the children reading or listening interact by using directionals or physical motions to make them move. Which made it even more fun!

I will be purchasing this book for my classroom & my own child!And the ending with the education and illustrations, truly wrapped up the book perfectly. This will be one of my new favs for awhile!

I absolutely loved Arlos journey! Thank you so much to NetGalley, Courtney Cino MBA and Whimespire for this wonderful book.
#ArloNeedsYourHelp #NetGalley

[Kristina P (ARC Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

PUBLISH DATE: May 5, 2026
Arlo Needs Your Help is a sweet, engaging picture book with bright, colorful illustrations that immediately draw kids in. I really loved that this is an interactive, seek-and-find style story, which makes it especially fun for read-alouds and helps keep young readers engaged.

I also appreciated how educational this book is while still being playful. It shares a lot of facts about monarch butterflies and their life cycle in a way that feels natural and easy for kids to understand. I love that it brings attention to the fact that monarch butterflies are now endangered and encourages care and empathy for living creatures.

Overall, this book does a great job balancing learning and fun. The interactive elements and vibrant illustrations help hold children’s attention, making it a great choice for both home reading and classroom use.

BOOK TITLE: All Needs Your Help
AUTHOR: Courtney Cino, MBA
ILLUSTRATOR: Olga Sall
PUBLISHER: Whimspire Books
FORMAT: e-book
PAGES: 36
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Reader copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to Whimspire Books Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is delightful. The illustrations are colorful and fun. The writing is engaging and I love that the book in interactive. It is also educational which is great. It sparks curiousity in kids and teaches them the importance of butterflies and the ecosystem. The information at the end of the book is written in kid friendly language while still making sure to educate about the importance of monarachs and what we, as humans, can do to help them. Overall, a wonderful, interactive children that is educational and illustrated beautifully.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Francis Tapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Arlo Needs Your Help" is a delightful and engaging story that gently shows children why wild creatures such as monarch caterpillars are happiest and healthiest in their natural habitat.

The combination of clear, age-appropriate science and a heartfelt message about caring for pollinators makes this a standout choice for families and classrooms.

With its inviting concept of a “Caterpillar Palace” and the reminder to let Arlo be free so he can transform, this book earns an easy 5 stars for both charm, colorful illustrations, and educational value.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, educational book about the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly. My three year old enjoyed the pictures and general story. The interactive parts are fun and the added counting activities were appreciated. I would have loved a little bit bolder font against the illustrations.

Overall a great book to read again and again to solidify the important of these butterflies, as well as caring for our world.

Thanks to Whimspire Books and NetGalley for this digital ARC.

[D Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations. Really stunning. A sweet tale of a caterpillar turning monarch. Perfect for children. Beautiful to read, narrated in a sweet voice. My only slight criticism is the data dump at the end. I wish it had been handled over an additional few pages rather than so concentrated. And, I still would never hesitate to recommend this book to anyone with a young child. It's a delightful read and easily earns in place everywhere it could be.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, interactive intro to caterpillar sciences (And great tool for parents to use to show their kid why we don't bring bugs home).

My 5 year old mentioned that they liked all of the colorful pictures, but would probably like the printed copy more because it doesn't quite work for the interactive elements (like tapping on the screen). To quote them, "I like that Arlo asked for my help, I'm a good helper for all kinds of animals, I like that".

[Taleah Ushendibaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many good things to say about this book. I love that it was talking to the kid reading. Almost like taking them on the journey with the butterfly. It taught kids some bigger science words and also how a butterfly grows. It includes counting to 14 and interactions that the kid can do while reading the book. I will definitely be purchasing this for my little boy!!

[dharabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated introduction to the life cycle of monarch butterflies. Highly informative in a very engaging way. Introduces young readers to conservation efforts as well as gently teaches them how to treat living creatures carefully and kindly (important for curious kids whose fascination with a critter might be at odds with its well being).

Many thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

[Chelsea Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arlo Needs Your Help is a brilliant, interactive picture book (releasing May 5, 2026) that turns young readers into "heroes" for a monarch caterpillar. The story follows Arlo as he tries to find the milkweed he needs to complete his life cycle. Cortney Cino masterfully introduces STEM concepts about metamorphosis and habitats.

[Cassie Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arlo Needs Your Help" is a cute, interactive read that gets kids involved with plenty of noises and call‑and‑response moments—great for storytime energy. The participation prompts are fun and easy to follow, though the text can feel a bit wordy in places, which may slow younger listeners. Still, it’s engaging and playful.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was such a sweet and interactive picture book. The kids I work with love books where they get to "interact" with the characters they're reading about, and I know that this one will be no different. This is a fresh way to teach the butterfly cycle and metamorphosis that I will definitely be using in my classroom when it comes out. I already know Arlo is going to be a new favorite!

[Samantha Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, interactive book where kids can learn about Monarch butterflies (and their caterpillar young selves) and they get to help Arlo out in a few different ways! Kids will be engaged with learning, helping, and getting to know Arlo and his surroundings. The illustrations are vibrant and detailed and so much fun.

From a review copy.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun and quick read. I read it from Netgalley.
I loved the vibrant pictures and how it went through the life cycle of a butterfly.
The last page talks about ecosystems/importance of the environment. 10/10 would add this to your kid's library or classroom =)

From a middle school science teacher, Great job Cortney Cino =)

[Stephanie White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this to review for my son.

We both learned about caterpillars in this book - I knew they went into trees, but I didn't know it took 14 days for them to come out as butterflies - so it was informative even to a 54-year-old woman.

Great story and great illustrations!

[Grandma Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Arlo series. The illustrations are bright and happy. This story takes us through Arlo’s journey from caterpillar to butterfly. Educational and fun. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. Thank you, NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

[Liz Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a hit with the kids! It was informative while still being easy to understand, and the colorful illustrations kept them engaged throughout. A great blend of learning and fun for young readers.