Amazon.com Review
From purple spotted swallowtails to cloudless giant sulfurs to Indian moon moths, butterflies and their night-flying cousins, moths, come in myriad shapes and sizes. With this intriguing little pop-up book and model butterfly specimen from Matthew Reinhart and the acknowledged master of paper engineering, Robert Sabuda, young naturalists can begin their own metamorphosis into lepidopterists (those who study and collect butterflies). Brilliant, shimmering paper butterflies and moths flutter through the pages of this short, informative book. Pull the tab to witness the transformation of a pupal caterpillar into a winged butterfly, or to see the surprising underside of a South American morpho. Discover the ingenious and sometimes bizarre techniques these lovely insects employ to ward off their predators. An exquisite paper model of a New Guinea birdwing in a faux wood (also made of paper) frame gives readers a humane start to a lifetime of collecting (the authors note that "no butterflies were harmed in the making of the book!"). For more pop-up magic, check out The Young Naturalist's Pop-Up Handbook of Beetles. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter
