Butterfly Count [Hardcover]

Sneed Collard III (Author), Paul Kratter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Amy and her mother look for a very special butterfly while attending the annual Fourth of July Butterfly Count at a prairie restoration site. Includes factual information about butterflies and how to attract and watch them.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A gentle family story with an environmental message. Amy and her mother are taking part in the Fourth of July butterfly count on a stretch of land that belonged to the girl's great-great-grandmother and was turned over to a conservation group for a prairie restoration project. Nora Belle's favorite butterfly, a regal fritillary, is now rarely seen, but is the one that Amy is hoping to find. With the help of a field guide, she lists the numerous species she encounters and finally spots the elusive species in the family's burial plot, which stands on "the last patch of prairie in the county that was never plowed." Soft watercolor illustrations of prairie grasses, plants, and butterflies quietly illuminate this tranquil tale. Information about and portraits of 14 butterflies are offered at the end of the book, along with details on how to take part in the North American Butterfly Count and how to obtain a guide for planting a butterfly garden.
Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 6-8. When Amy's great-great-grandmother, Nora Belle, farmed the prairie, the regal fritillary was her favorite butterfly. Once one of North America's largest and most widespread butterflies, the regal fritillary vanished with its plowed prairie habitat. Nora Belle now lies buried near her farm, which she gave over to prairie restoration in hopes that the regal fritillary would someday return. It is to this restored prairie that Amy and others come on the Fourth of July to participate in an annual butterfly count. In startlingly realistic detail, Kratter paints the prairie fauna sheltered by and flitting among the indigenous grasses and flowers. His watercolors also convey the welcome shade from the summer sun, where Amy rests and awakens to spy, near Nora Belle's grave, the long-awaited regal fritillary. The various butterflies depicted in the art are pictured again and described at book's end, creating a mini field guide for readers. Amy's age (she's pictured as an older child) extends this story beyond its picture-book format, making the book well suited to children who can read and enjoy the story on their own. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823416070
• ISBN-13: 978-0823416073
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Butterfly Count - Book, May 21, 2011

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College Mom "bestteachermom" (Katy, TX, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Butterfly Count (Hardcover)

This book was a little over my 3,4,& 5 year old's heads, so we pretty much looked at the pictures - which are beautiful! The text is more on a 1st-3rd grade (read-aloud) level. A good addition to any teacher's personal library.