A Butterfly Is Patient

Butterfly lovers rejoice! Diana Jutts Aston and Sylvia Long - the author/illustrator team responsible for An Egg Is Quiet and A Seed Is Sleepy - turn their attention to our pieridine friends in this, their third natural history picture-book, and the result is a decided triumph! Like the previous two titles, A Butterfly Is Patient is meant to explore the world of a particular category of things (or creatures) - in this case: butterflies. Using a dual narrative in which a general, and rather poetic statement - "A butterfly is patient" / "A butterfly is helpful" - in larger print is paired on each two-page spread with a more detailed, factual paragraph in standard-sized font, the text is clearly intended to engage readers at a number of show more different levels.

Paired with Sylvia Long's gorgeous watercolor artwork, the end result is a lovely book that is sure to appeal to nature-lovers young and old! The decorative first and last pages (conveniently not the endpapers, which might be covered up by stickers in library copies) are given over to a wealth of caterpillars and butterflies, and the interior artwork is lushly colorful and detailed. With such an engaging textual format, and such beautiful illustrations, Aston and Long seem determined to prove (yet again) that educational doesn't have to mean boring or dry! show less

This book was incredibly educational! It also boasted SPECTACULAR illustrations of numerous species of butterflies and caterpillars. It showed the lifecycle of butterflies and shared lots of cool facts while still remaining interesting and engaging. I would love to have this in my classroom library if I taught K-2nd, but I would refrain from using it in my practice because it does talk about evolution and uses the "millions-of-years-ago-worldview" that I as a Christian cannot support. Aside from that, it was a beautiful book and I think children would be fascinated with it!

I love this series, a nonfiction book with simple beautiful illustrations and a readaloudable amount of text that still manages to have good content.

A butterfly is patient by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long

The Text: Dianna Aston does one of my favorite things with easy nonfiction: she has two parallel texts, one simple sentences perfect for reading aloud, another a longer paragraph for reading alone or with older children. The simple sentences give facts and attributes of butterflies, “A butterfly is patient/a butterfly is creative/a butterfly is helpful” while the longer text explains in further detail. “A butterfly is patient” explains how an egg is hidden and hatches into a caterpillar. “A butterfly is creative” explains how a caterpillar grows and begins metamorphosis. “A butterfly is helpful” discusess butterflies’ role in pollination. The show more differences between moths and butterflies, butterfly species, migration, feeding habits, and more are also included.

The Illustrations: Sylvia Long’s illustrations glow with brilliant color. Her watercolors are delicately detailed and perfect for identifying butterflies or just basking in their beauty. The book was handlettered by Anne Robin and Sylvia Long and most of the butterflies and caterpillars are neatly labeled. The layout of the illustrations and text is a big part of this book as they are so carefully integrated. Some of the spreads swirl across the entire page with a section of text carefully placed in the middle. Other pages spotlight a few pictures against a white background, alternating with text.

The Extras: The acknowledgements include a long list of professional sources on butterflies. No guide to identification is needed, as the illustrations include captions.

Verdict: This is a beautiful, beautiful book. Perfect for reading aloud or enjoying alone, highly recommended for any library collection.

ISBN: 978-0811864794; Published May 2011 by Chronicle; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library show less

Did you know that a ladybug is a beetle? I didn't, but thanks to this beautifully illustrated text I do now. This is a great way to introduce children to the wonderful world of beetles, even the 7 inch one. . . (Yuck!)
Each page is eye-catching and the book can be read multiple ways: read only the headings of each page for young children or the entire page for older ones. It has interesting facts even adults will find interesting.

From egg to adult this book will teach your little ones all about the lives of butterfly’s. The words flow nicely with just the right amount of scientific information to trap your attention. Aston does a wonderful job explaining the lifecycle of butterflies which will help you appreciate these creatures even more. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous with captivating details. This book will mesmerize any elementary aged child. –Alicia

Learn about lots of different caterpillars, their life cycle, and the butterflies they turn into.

Beautiful drawings in this nice non-fiction book. I learned the names of dozens of species of butterflies!