(4) K-3 Adapted by Genie MacLeod. Created by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson. Elinor’s friend Ari wants to spend the day butterfly-watching, while her friend Olive would rather look for caterpillars. The friends decide to look for butterfly babies instead. Why can’t they find any? Using their observation skills, they discover that Ari and Olive actually like the same insect. This book is an effective, if bland, introduction to the concepts of metamorphosis and using science to answer questions; the cartoon art and story are based on an episode of a TV series.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Kerns

(2) K-3 A spiky-horned beetle narrates this contemplative story of friendship, growth, and connection. The insect is alone on the edge of a cliff when a red-and-white spotted caterpillar arrives "out of nowhere." The two develop a relationship and a comfortable routine of picnicking and moon-gazing. Then, one morning, a bright red chrysalis hangs from beneath the cliff, just out of the beetle's view. The beetle has not seen the friend's transformation and doesn't understand where she has gone. Looking through a spyglass reveals a flash of red in the distance, so the beetle packs up and journeys into the unknown, singing while passing potential predators (a frog and bird). Just as the insect approaches the red mushrooms it mistakenly identified as the caterpillar, a red-and-white butterfly is shown emerging from the chrysalis. It flies to the beetle--"I felt as if I'd seen her before, but at first, I couldn't quite put my finger on where. Then I looked more closely. And I just knew"--and the friends are reunited in their new location. The bold red color pops atop the otherwise monochromatic art, which appears to be rendered with charcoals or dark pencils. With its oversized character eyes, grayscale hues, and emphasis on cycles, growth, and the natural world, the book is reminiscent of the work of Brendan Wenzel (They All Saw a Cat, rev. 11/16, and others).

Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2021

(2) PS Illustrated by Ana Aranda. "In a corner of the lush, green garden, two caterpillars share a leaf." Young children who look closely at the insects' smiling faces and fancifully decorated bodies will notice some differences: the patterns on their backs are different colors and shapes; and where one has feathery antennae, the other's are stick-like. As will soon be revealed, one is a moth and one is a ­butterfly, but in the early stages of their lives they have many characteristics in ­common. ­Petty's friendly text provides a light ­introduction to comparative ­observation, noting selected similarities and differences in the animals' appearances and behaviors. After a brief period spent in the pupal stage (not named as such, although the text does use the word metamorphosis), the adult butterfly and moth make spectacular entrances across two double-page spreads--"Then...POP! There is Butterfly! / Then...POP AGAIN!!! There is Moth!"--and the ­comparisons continue. In Aranda's cartoonlike illustrations, the ­anthropomorphized insects appear as cheerful buddies palling around in an ­idyllic backyard ­setting.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(3) K-3 "What are you guys doing?" a caterpillar asks its fellow creatures. The reply: "We're going to metamorphosize." "Meta-WHAT-now?" The caterpillar's cluelessness prevails throughout this amusing Mo Willems–flavored tale of transformation ("'Am I a butterfly yet?' / 'No.' / 'How about now?' / 'No'"). Cartoon-style art shows the goggle-eyed caterpillar behaving wonderfully badly (e.g., it orders takeout from its chrysalis).

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Xtreme Insects series. This series acquaints young readers with different types of insects. Each formulaic book includes a simple introduction of the genus, a discussion of body parts, and brief paragraphs on various species; edibility by humans and potential medical uses are also considered. Colorful, zoomed-in photographs vary in quality but will engage insect enthusiasts. "Xtreme fact" sidebars extend the texts. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Xtreme Insects titles: Butterflies, Crickets, Dragonflies, Grasshoppers, Mosquitoes, and Moths.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(1) PS Illustrated by Laura González. "Jumping beans" are not in fact beans but moth larvae that have burrowed into the seedpods of the yerba de la flecha shrubs found alongside arroyos in the northern desert mountains of Mexico. In this accessible life-cycle/counting book that organically interweaves Spanish and English, Martínez traces the metamorphosis of "una oruga--a wiggly caterpillar" as it embarks on a pupation journey, that, with the aid of many desert helpers, ends with transformation and a spreading of wings as "a majestic polilla...soars into the sky." Martínez takes readers inside the seedpod, spotlighting its daily interactions--from the sun that warms it; to cacti ("dos saguaros") that provide shade; to the predators ("cuatro coyotes," "cinco cuervos") its clicking and clacking scares away; to children ("siete amigos") who come upon it while exploring the desert and use it to play a game. González’s digital illustrations harmonize subdued desert hues, mixing greens, russets, and blues. Capacious double-page spreads capture intricate goings-on inside the seedpod while simultaneously conveying wide-open desert expanses. Martínez (from El Paso) attends to the complexity of this desert landscape--a region politically and environmentally fraught--by tenderly centering its beautifully complex life in an engagingly child-friendly way. An appended author's note provides additional information about jumping bean moths; a glossary and bilingual "Count to Ten" list are also included.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Maria Dek. In this homage to the beauty of the natural world, a young girl's boredom becomes the catalyst for an afternoon spent outside. It's Sunday, and Camille, having "read all of her books" and "tidied all of her pencils," slips out of the house. To her delight, the low gray clouds soon give way to loud claps of thunder and big raindrops that "plop onto her head, roll down her hair and face." She spies a line of ants and, upon inquiry, learns that they are going to a show. Her afternoon discoveries continue as she encounters a spotted spider, a pair of snails, a bumblebee, and a gray cat, all of whom are going to the show. Camille's "what's this show that everyone is talking about?" curiosity is abated when she sees a chrysalis suspended from a branch. "Time stops, and Camille's heart tightens" as she watches it transform into a vibrant butterfly. Watercolor illustrations in warm jewel tones reflect the unpretentious and startling beauty that Camille discovers in her own backyard. Unassuming and earnest, this story gently beckons readers to step outside, "where there's always a show to see."

Reviewer: Emmie Stuart | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2020

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. On a "bug safari" in Cool, Pete brings home a caterpillar. He's concerned when it seems to disappear but excited when it finally emerges as a butterfly. Pete gets creative in Bake Sale, taking his baking failures and turning them into "groovy berry goodness." The stories are slight, but fans should enjoy the playful illustrations that complement the simple emergent-reader texts. Review covers these titles: Pete the Cat and the Cool Caterpillar and Pete the Cat's Groovy Bake Sale.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Lightning Bolt Books: Amazing Migrators series. Four short chapters briefly introduce the characteristics, habitat, and reproduction of monarch butterflies or dragonflies, then cover the basics of that animal's annual migration: distance, starting point and destination, timing in the year and in the species' life cycle, reasons the insect must migrate, and threats humans pose to its migration pattern. Large, clear photographs illustrate the choppy texts. "Fun Facts" and "More Amazing Migrators" sections are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Lightning Bolt Books: Amazing Migrators titles: The Monarch Butterfly's Journey and The Dragonfly's Journey.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) PS A polliwog observes a caterpillar for days to learn how to turn into a butterfly. What the polliwog doesn't notice--and the brightly colored illustrations clearly show--is that he is changing, too. The illustrations will engage a younger audience, but the board book's small size struggles to accommodate the long text.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: December, 1982

(1) 4-6 Excellent reproductions of seventeenth-century German naturalist Merian's gorgeous--and groundbreaking--illustrations of butterflies and moths let readers appreciate their accurate scientific detail and artistry. Merian's biography is told in twelve chapters titled with butterfly life-cycle stages, and Sidman's accompanying photographs illustrate each stage. The book includes numerous excerpts from Merian's journals, historical illustrations, and maps. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) 4-6 When witches steal twelve-year-old Nell's mother and turn her into a bird, Nell and her brothers enlist the aid of "Fearless Traveler" Duke Badger. Duke takes the siblings to the parallel Dreamlands world to find their mother in the Wicked Places, where the group must thwart the nightmarish witches' plan. Begler offers a whimsical adventure full of magic and creatures that will leave readers begging for more.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(4) K-3 My Day Learning Science series. New vocabulary words in bold-colored type and bright photographs complement a slight easy-reader text about a caterpillar's development into a butterfly. A photograph of a caterpillar in its distinctive J shape before it enters the chrysalis stage is presented out of sequence with no explanation; otherwise this is a clear introduction for the very young. Discussion questions are appended. Reading list. Glos.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Explore Life Cycles series. This title begins with a monarch butterfly laying its eggs, then it explores a caterpillar's transition from egg to chrysalis to butterfly. Detailed, close-up photographs depict each stage, while the text explains how a caterpillar sheds its skin several times while growing and how butterflies suck nectar from flowers. An appealing introduction for young naturalists, with appended critical thinking questions. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Caterpillar Henri dreams of flying and going on an adventure, and he asks various animals for help while traveling. The plot barely picks up (the biggest obstacle Henri faces is a cocoon) and the prose is a bit ungainly, but the digitally assembled watercolor illustrations succeed in showing overwhelmed Henri's reactions to his imposing surroundings and his joyful transformation into a butterfly.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Carol Schwartz. Rhyming, cumulative text is reflected in vibrant, verdant illustrations as creatures (including a ladybug, hummingbird, and mantis) visit a lush flower garden; each verse ends with "near the surprise / in clever disguise / that hangs in my busy green garden." Kids will enjoy discovering the surprise (a cocoon) and searching for the chipmunk hiding in every spread. Information about each visitor is appended.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Little Pebble: Little Critters series. Simple sentences and close-up color photos characterize this early-reader series. Worms hatch, eat, poop, and dig. Butterflies drink nectar, lay eggs, and hatch as caterpillars. Labeled photos (with some errors; e.g., in Butterflies, an ovipositor is mislabeled as a caterpillar) illustrate the large-print text on each page. These books offer adequate if superficial introductions to their subjects. Two critical thinking questions appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Little Pebble: Little Critters titles: Butterflies and Earthworms.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Changing Animals series. Simple text, a few sentences per page at most, gives basics on this insect's size, body, and eating habits, often using comparisons to aid comprehension. The clean layouts include copious white space surrounding the text on the verso and one large, clear photo on the recto of each inviting spread. Additional facts are appended. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) PS Illustrated by Lucy Tapper. Hedgehogs Horace and Hattie (Hedgehugs) observe a caterpillar becoming a butterfly and wonder: "If they ate a lot and slept in a soft, silky bed, would they turn into something colorful and wonderful too?" (They do--sort of.) This slight story includes a nonscientific introduction to metamorphosis (caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly are never mentioned); colorful, vibrantly textured digital illustrations are eye-catching if a bit saccharine.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(2) K-3 Photographs by Ellen Harasimowicz. An explanation of the life cycle of butterflies gets an intriguing twist in this account of the work of a Costa Rican butterfly farm, where blue morpho butterflies are raised and the pupae eventually shipped to museums for display and observation. Detailed discussion of each life stage is accompanied by wonderfully sharp, close-up photographs that show intricate structural details. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014