Monarch Magic!
In Monarch Magic!, Rosenblatt has described the life cycle of the monarch butterfly and much more. The text is both informative and entertaining. The print is easy to read and attractively displayed on pages with borders as colorful as the butterflies themselves. Beautiful full-color photographs accompany the text from beginning to end. Fact boxes are found on most pages. In these fact boxes scientific terms are defined as well as trivia-type information connecting facts about caterpillars and butterflies to other concepts of science.
Throughout, the reader is encouraged to keep a monarch journal. Suggestions are made for keeping track of discoveries, graphing the growth and changes in the caterpillar and even writing poems and stories about caterpillars and butterflies.
The book goes even further to show the
fascinating migration patterns of the monarchs. For those readers who are interested in following the migration, there is a list of organizations to contact. Addresses, telephone numbers, and even e-mail and web sites are included.
Another section of the book is dedicated to monarch fun. For those interested in crafts, there are directions for making your own play caterpillars as well as monarch headbands, mobiles and puppets. The directions are easy to follow. A list of supplies required, as well as a picture of the completed project, is included.
In conclusion, the author has suggested ways in which the reader can help the monarch such as by planting a butterfly garden or preserving their milkweed habitat. For some activities it is recommended that an adult help a child complete a given task. The craft and nature activities could be used for lesson extensions in the classroom or just for fun at home.
This book is an excellent introduction to the world of the monarch butterfly. Teachers will find it invaluable for classroom use. Libraries should make room on their shelves for this book. As an added bonus, a donation is made to the Friends of the Monarchs and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation for every book sold.
Reviewed by
Dianne Weber
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
