A luminously illustrated and thoroughly informative picture book poetry collection by Sibert Honor-winning duo Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen that captures the beauty and complexity of monarch and mourning cloak butterflies.
Monarch and mourning cloak butterflies may seem similar on the surface; they are about the same size and common throughout North America. But following along at a butterfly's-eye-view, readers will discover how they live in different habitats, eat different foods, and have different strategies for avoiding enemies and making it through winter. Because even though all butterflies have the same basic body features and life cycle, each species has its own special way of surviving.
Delightful and illuminating poems, informational sidebars, and lush illustrations will immerse curious young readers in the lives of these two fascinating butterfly species.
This diary warmly welcomes readers to bask in butterfly lore. Most of the handsome spreads resemble real journal pages populated by sketches, taped-in ephemera, handwritten notes, and pinned pieces of text, creating a casual atmosphere perfect for imparting information. Two separate species are under observation--monarchs and mourning cloaks--and readers will be intrigued immediately by their distinct differences, along with certain similarities. . . . The lyrical text is as lovely as it is educational, and final pages of notes expand a bit more fully on many of the processes mentioned. Appealing illustrations act as macro and micro lenses on the animals, zooming in on tiny eggs and then widening for a glimpse of larger habitats. Readers are sure to walk away with an interest in butterflies--and a desire to journal their newfound knowledge.--Booklist "February 2026 Issue"
Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 150 science books for children, including the celebrated Meet the Mini Mammals, illustrated by Brian Lies, and Can an Aardvark Bark? and Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme, both illustrated by Steve Jenkins. After earning a bachelor's degree in biology from Union College and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children's book editor for nine years before becoming a full-time writer. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She lives in Acton, Massachusetts.
Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 150 science books for children, including the celebrated Meet the Mini Mammals, illustrated by Brian Lies, and Can an Aardvark Bark? and Fourteen Monkeys: A Rain Forest Rhyme, both illustrated by Steve Jenkins. After earning a bachelor's degree in biology from Union College and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children's book editor for nine years before becoming a full-time writer. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She lives in Acton, Massachusetts.
Sarah S. Brannen is an award-winning author and illustrator of more than twenty books for children. Her authored works include the groundbreaking Uncle Bobby's Wedding, illustrated by Lucia Soto, and her illustrated works include Melissa Stewart's Sibert Honor book Summertime Sleepers. Sarah lives in Massachusetts.