Suggested reading
Storybooks
Bunting, Eve. 1994. Flower Garden. Voyager Publishing.
Join this little girl as she creates a flowerbox garden for her apartment.
Carle, Eric. 1981. The Honeybee and the Robber. Scholastic, Inc.
Manipulate the bee through the fields and the hive during one day in her life.
Carle, Eric. 1999. The Very Clumsy Click Bug. Scholastic, Inc.
Persistence is the lesson this little bug learns, who develops from clumsy to graceful.
Carle, Eric. 1995. The Very Lonely Firefly. Scholastic, Inc.
Companionship is the theme of this story of a firefly searching for friends and finding multiple sources of light.
Carle, Eric. 1990. The Very Quiet Cricket. Scholastic, Inc.
Love gives this little cricket success as he tries to say hello to all the friends he meets.
Cassie, Brian and Jerry Pallotta. 1995. The Butterfly Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge Publishing.
Discover 26 of the 18,000 species of butterflies with this small, yet informative, book.
Ehlert, Lois. 2001. Waiting for Wings. Harcourt, Inc.
Bold, accurate watercolor illustrations of the life cycle and nectaring of various butterflies.
Frederick, Anthony. 2001. Under One Rock…Bugs, Slugs, and Other Ughs. Dawn Publications.
Visit one special community, right under the feet of every child.
Garelick, May. 1989. Where Does the Butterfly Go When It Rains? MONDO Publishing.
Discover how different animals find refuge in the rain, and end with the answer to where butterflies go when it rains.
Heller, Ruth. 1985. How to Hide a Butterfly. Grosset and Dunlap.
Each page of this book features a well camouflaged insect for students to find as they discover the idea of protective coloration.
Heller, Ruth. 1983. The Reason for a Flower. Grosset and Dunlap.
Flowers and plants do more than serve as nectar sources and seed producers.
Oppenheim, Joanne. 1996. Have You Seen Bugs? Scholastic Press.
Beautifully illustrated with paper sculpture and watercolor, this poem discusses all possible aspects of bugs, their looks, habitats, and behaviors.
Polacco, Patricia. 2000. The Butterfly. Philomel Books.
A passionate and true tale of friendship from World War II, with two secret friends and a butterfly.
Ross, Michael Elsohn. 1996. Millipedeology; Caterpillarology; and Cricketology. Carolrhoda Books.
Each of these books describes ways to observe the animal and set up simple experiments to further study its behavior.
Sandved, Kjell. 1996. The Butterfly Alphabet. Scholastic, Inc.
Beautiful close-up photography showcases butterfly and moth wing scales that seem to represent every letter of the alphabet. Out of print, and worth the search.
Sundgard, Arnold and Carle, Eric. The Lamb and the Butterfly. Scholastic, Inc.
A lamb chases a butterfly and learns about the freedom of a butterfly’s life.
Van Allsburg, Chris. 1988. Two Bad Ants. Houghton Mifflin.
Get an ant’s eye view of a kitchen and its dangers, all for a few grains of sugar.
Watts, Barrie. 1985. Butterfly and Caterpillar. Silver Burdett Company.
Up-close photography assist the reader to see the metamorphosis of the cabbage white butterfly.
Non-fiction books for children
Bartlett Wright, Amy. Peterson First Guides: Caterpillars. Houghton Mifflin.
This is an easy to use first guide to identifying the most common caterpillars of North America.
Feltwell, John. Butterflies and Moths. DK Publishing Eyewitness Explorers.
This is a wonderfully illustrated, comprehensive discussion of butterflies and moths. This book also includes a few activities and instructions on how to make field observations.
Ling, Mary. 1992. See How They Grow: Butterfly. DK Publishing.
This very simple and clear narration of metamorphosis is very appropriate for younger grade levels.
Opler, Paul. Peterson First Guides: Butterflies and Moths. Houghton Mifflin.
This is an easy to use first guide to identifying the most common butterflies and moths of North America.
Ross, Michael Elsohn. 1997. Bug Watching with Charles Henry Turner.
Turner was a prominent African-American entomologist who chose to teach high school in St. Louis, and now has the Turner Middle School, in the St. Louis Public School district, named for him.
Books for teachers
Ant Homes Under the Ground: Science and Math Activities for Young Children. 1999. Lawrence Hall of Science, Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS).
Observe the nature of ants, and recreate their home and bodies following these lessons.
Beaty, Seddon Kelly. Butterflies Abound! Addison-Wesley.
Study butterflies across the curriculum with this guide. Even food and music are included.
Buzzing A Hive. 1987. Lawrence Hall of Science GEMS.
A bee’s life cycle, pollination, and honeycomb building are parts of the units in this guide.
Hide A Butterfly.1986. Lawrence Hall of Science GEMS.
After creating a large mural of a meadow, students discover the reason and methods of camouflage.
Imes, Rick. 1992. The Practical Entomologist. Simon and Schuster/Fireside Books.
The Practical Entomologist is an easy to read entomology resource, covering all major insect orders. This book also includes some interesting ideas for hands-on activities.
Junior Master Gardener Teacher/Leader Guide. 1999. Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
Almost 400 pages of activities, songs, and games for the beginner and advanced gardener are featured. This has a companion guide for children, JMG Gardener Handbook: Level One.
Jurenka, Nancy Allen and Rosanne J. Blass. 1996. Beyond the Bean Seed. Teachers Idea Press.
Through gardening, book-sharing, and other creative activities, students learn about topics ranging from flowers, vegetables, and mushrooms to windowsill gardens, butterflies, and scarecrows.
Kneidel, Sally Stenhouse. 1993. Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method: Over 100 Hands-On Science Experiments for Children. Fulcrum Publishing.
This book is packed with information about all kinds of invertebrates and includes many suggestions of how to bring these animals into classrooms.
Ladybugs. 1999. Lawrence Hall of Science GEMS.
Anatomy and life cycle lessons are included in this guide.
Lingelbach, Jenepher and Lisa Purcell. 2000. Hands-On Nature: Information and Activities for Exploring the Environment with Children.
Investigate the local environment using these experiments and activities.
Lovejoy, Sharon. 1999. Roots, Shoots, Bucket, & Boots: Gardening Together with Children. Workman Publishing.
Connect children to nature through gardening with 12 ideas for theme gardens.
Mapping Animal Movements. 1987. Lawrence Hall of Science GEMS
Observe, then record the movements of crickets and hamsters. What else can be observed using these methods?
Mikula, Rick. 2000. The Family Butterfly Book: Projects, Activities, and a Field Guide to 40 Favorite North American Species. Storey Books.
All the information one needs to identify, care for, and raise butterflies in the backyard.
Oberhauser, Karen PhD. 1997. Monarchs in the Classroom: An Inquiry-Based Curriculum for Grades K-2; Grades 3-6; Middle School. University of Minnesota.
Explore the monarch world using one of these guides, produced by one of the leading monarch experts in the country.
Ranger Rick’s NatureScope: Incredible Insects. 1998. National Wildlife Federation.
Each of the five included themes cover ecology and natural history, and provides great extensions for lessons.
Zoobooks. 1995. Butterflies. Wildlife Education, Ltd.
Like all of the publications in this series, Butterflies cover the anatomy, behaviors, life cycle, and species variety in colorful detail.
Reference books
Borrer, Donald, Charles Triplehorn; and Norman Johnson. 1982. An Introduction to the Study of Insects. Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
The standard college text with comprehensive keys to help identify insects. Also includes a complete discussion about arthropod biology and classification.
Carter, David. Butterflies and Moths. Dorling Kindersley.
This beautiful handbook features beautiful photographs and descriptions of a variety of butterflies and moths from around the world.
Heitzman, Richard and Joan. 1996. Butterflies and Moths of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation.
This is the only comprehensive field guide to the butterflies and moths of Missouri. It also includes information on collecting, pinning, and identifying butterflies and moths, as well as an excellent description of anatomy and metamorphosis.
Scott, James. 1986. The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History Field Guide. Stanford University Press.
This is the best comprehensive guide to all butterfly species found in North America.
Stokes, Donald and Stokes, Lillian. 1991. The Butterfly Book: An Easy Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior. Little, Brown and Company.
This is a great general reference for all basic butterfly topics.
