How to Be a Butterfly

Book excerpt: Should a butterfly be big or small? Should it be bright and bold, or perfectly pale? A joyous, imaginative, yet informative non-fiction picture book about what it takes to be a butterfly—body parts, behavior, and life cycle—with the underlying message that diversity is a wonderful thing and that, in fact, there are 20,000 ways to be a butterfly! Not only beautiful to behold, butterflies provide an opportunity to introduce a variety of environmental topics. Serving as key indicators of biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, they face threats of extinction due to climate change and habitat destruction—all vital subjects for children today. With stunning illustrations displaying a colorful array of different butterfly species, each labeled with its scientific name, and fascinating details about their anatomy and life cycle, there is plenty for young nature lovers to spot and explore time and again.