Published by Tundra Books

Summary:  A butterfly tells readers that “everyone knows that butterflies are pretty.”  If that’s as much as you want to know about butterflies, you’re warned not to read any further.  But, of course, who can resist?  Keep going, and you’ll learn that butterflies can be drab, noisy, and eat rotten food or poop.  Some are stinky, sneaky, and all are shape-shifters, turning from a caterpillar into a butterfly.  They taste with their feet and drink other animals’ tears.  Butterflies are gross, they are amazing, AND they are beautiful…just like humans!  Includes additional information about the butterfly species in the book.  36 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  This is a fun approach that is a nice counterbalance to more traditional butterfly books.  I used to teach in a school where there was a second grade field trip to The Butterfly Place in Westford, MA, and there were always one or two kids who were completely freaked out by butterflies.  They might enjoy having their phobias validated by this book.

Cons:  Honestly, I was hoping for something a little bit grosser.