Butterflies are captivating and always seem to attract the attention of children and adults alike. Jerry Pallotta’s book, Butterfly Counting, brings the subject of butterflies to a whole to height by combining colors, numbers, language, and butterfly facts in a unique and memorable way. Written for children age three to seven, the text is enhanced by vivid colored-pencil drawings.
The book is organized around the numbers from one zero to twenty five and encourages young readers to count ever increasing numbers of butterflies. Each page shows a different kind of butterfly, presents facts about physical appearance, life cycle, and behavior, and ends by giving the word for butterfly in different languages ranging from Italian and French to Mandarin, Tagalog and Navaho. Twenty four species and twenty seven languages are included. The first ten butterflies also teach ten colors: red, blue, green, purple, orange, black, white, pink, yellow and brown. Zero is represented by showing the Antarctica where there are zero butterflies. Numbers twenty to twenty two introduce butterfly eggs, twenty one different caterpillars, and chrysalises.
The text is rich in vocabulary and content, and engages the reader by posing questions and suggesting ways to appreciate the uniqueness of butterflies. The illustrations show both the beauty and large variety that exists, and invite young readers to count. Butterfly Counting is a great way to learn about butterflies while also reinforcing numbers and colors.
To buy Butterfly Counting from Amazon.com click here.
Karen Meyers