Milkweed for Monarchs

PreS-Gr 3–While many books about monarchs focus on their great migration, this one stresses the importance of the milkweed plant to the butterflies’ survival, while also presenting a detailed description of their life cycle. The text on each page is in two parts: the top lines are written in simple rhymes, while the bottom lines explain the science in greater detail, making the book accessible to a wide range of readers. Detailed illustrations accompany the text, the best of which depict close-up views of a single egg, various stages of caterpillar growth, and the dreamy blue-green of the chrysalis. Though the larger issues, e.g., how pesticide use and deforestation affect the butterflies’ food source, may be lost on younger readers—addressed on the second spread of the book—the vivid illustrations and expressive words make the book a worthwhile purchase. Back matter includes an author’s note, fun facts, ways readers can help (by planting milkweed in their garden, for example) and a brief bibliography.