The Butterfly Book: A Kid's Guide to Attracting, Raising, and Keeping Butterflies

Gr. 3^-6. Hamilton's wide-format paperback surveys the life stages, body structures, and habits of butterflies. Readers interested in raising butterflies from egg, caterpillar, or chrysalis will find useful information on the safe handling and temporary keeping of butterflies before returning them to the wild. For instance, Hamilton warns not to keep butterflies in glass jars, where they can injure their wings. She also shows how to mend a broken wing. Readers uninterested in hunting butterflies will find good advice for attracting them to the garden by raising the plants they depend on, avoiding the use of insecticides, and providing appropriate food, water, and shelter. A field guide identifies 20 butterflies common to North America, their larval food plants, and their habitat zones. Full-color photographs and ink drawings with watercolor washes illustrate the text. Full of intriguing facts presented in a readable way, this guide will appeal to children studying butterflies in the classroom or the backyard. Carolyn Phelan