Monarch! Come Play with Me

Monarch Come Play with Me, by Ba Rea, uses large, detailed illustrations and the inquiries of a young girl to present a monarch caterpillar’s metamorphosis from egg through caterpillar and chrysalis to butterfly for children between the ages of 3 and 9. The text, written for early second grade readers, revolves around the similarities and differences between the development and activities of monarchs and children. An informational text at the end of the book introduces readers to the process of scientific discovery through the story of Dr. Fred and Norah Urquhart's search — with the help of many citizen scientists — for the eastern monarchs’ overwintering home. This text, written at a fourth grade reading level, shows readers how science is used to answer questions.

All of her life, Ba Rea has been passionate about about the natural world—enjoying, investigating, learning and sharing what she discovers. Ba has researched, drawn, photographed and written about many different plants, animals and natural phenomena. She has worked with a wide variety of organizations, including the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, Maine Audubon, Audubon Society of New Hampshire, Monarchs in the Classroom, Lifestrands, Ridge2000, Wings of Wonder, ASSET, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Frick Environmental Center, the Pittsburgh Children's Museum, and the Anita Purves Nature Center in Urbana, Illinois. Her favorite creatures are monarch butterflies, but praying mantids, toads, American eels, puffins, and whales are all close contenders! Ba has been raising and releasing monarchs since 1970. She has been introducing school children and teachers to them for over 15 years and teaching a course for teachers interested in using monarchs in the classroom since 2000.