The Boy and the Butterfly

Lucas adores butterflies and spends every morning on his porch in his red sun t-shirt and green sneakers, watching orange and black wings drift past. But the garden has fallen quiet, and the visits grow rarer. Carrying his canvas satchel, he walks the neighborhood looking for flowers, bushes and sunny spots, and finds only two butterflies in a whole day. Something is wrong, and he is determined to understand what.

At school, Lucas tells his class what he noticed. His teacher, Mr. Ellis, explains that butterflies depend on the right native flowers for food and for laying eggs, and that many of those flowers have disappeared. His friend Mia suggests planting new ones, and the class begins planning a butterfly garden, digging, sowing milkweed, coneflower and black-eyed Susans, and watering them with Mia's pink watering can. Written by Jane MEADOW, this gentle tale about patience and care can be read on Kids Tale Book.