Where Butterflies Grow

by Joanne Ryder, Lynne Cherry (Illustrator)

Overview

In a field of lacy leaves, a small caterpillar hatches, grows, and sheds its skin, becoming a smooth, green creeper. It eats and changes some more, then in a sequence of remarkable close-ups, spins a sliken sling in which to pupate—until it finally bursts forth as a brilliant black swallowtail butterfly. Includes suggestions on how children can grow butterfiles in their own gardens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780140558586
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	06/01/1996
Series:	Picture Puffin Books
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.13(d)
Lexile:	AD670L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Joanne Ryder has her own ties to Laura Ingalls Wilder. She helped edit West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco, 1915. Already in love with the city, Ingalls’s letters introduced Ryder to the 1915 San Francisco World’s Fair, providing the perfect backdrop for Winnie and Miss Drake’s adventures. In her storied career, Ryder has published more than seventy books and received numerous awards for her nature writing and poetry.

Lynne Cherry is a children’s book author and illustrator. Her works include When I’m Sleepy, The Dragon and the Unicorn, and The Shaman’s Apprentice: A Tale of the Amazon Rainforest. 

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-- For young children, there's no better way to introduce the world of science than through one of nature's miracles, and it is difficult to find a better example than in this wondrous story of birth and transformation. ``Imagine you are someone small. . .'' So begins the readers' journey as a tiny caterpillar embarking on one of life's odysseys. The story goes through the stages of growth as the egg evolves from birth to the glorious moment when the butterfly takes wing. Through the personalized adventure and Ryder's strong sensory imagery, readers become the tiny creature, growing and changing. As a wonderful postscript, Ryder gives directions for adapting a part of a garden to attract butterflies. The book is packed with good information presented in an imaginative way. Cherry's illustrations span the full page, using boxes in sequence to magnify details or follow action. Another special feature of her lush watercolors is the many small creatures hidden among the plant life, inviting readers to sharpen their powers of observation. As it opens children's eyes to one of the wonders of nature, this book is sure to delight as well as teach. --Virginia E. Jeschelnig, Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, Willowick, OH

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