Butterfly-Butterfly

Butterfly, Butterfly, What’s Your Game Plan? is a uniquely captivating poem story told in a witty, flowing, non-conforming rhyming verse style making this book enjoyable; it’s fun to read. Embedded with tongue-twisting phrases, the poem examines the life cycle of a butterfly presented to the reader in the unusual form of a soliloquy (Shakespeare is even cited). However, more than an homage to the fanciful, flitting flyer, it is also a somewhat scientific look at numerous aspects of the life of butterflies. It is an observational commentary that examines their whimsical nature, manner of comings and goings, and cycle of regeneration.

The book with its numerous colorful and bold illustrations will be a delight to the eye, and can be read to smaller children. Later in their inquisitive and vocabulary building years, middle school age children will find it a stimulating incentive that infuses a love of reading with scientific exploration in nature.

The nature study provokes inquiring young minds to expand their knowledge, by inviting them to do research to find out more about the quixotic fliers that capture our attention. The back of the book suggests facts/fiction they can check for themselves with a space for their research notes. Many of Madam Zucchini’s poem story characters find themselves in dilemmas that relate to choices, i.e. learning life’s lessons. This is an inspiring book that explodes with incentives to do research in both science and English.

The abundance of richly rendered illustrations and Madam Zucchini’s garden photos show a variety of types of butterflies in their environments which defines the poem story visually. The illustrations are rendered in rich watercolors and pen and ink in a controlled style to be more accurate.