A Place for Butterflies

A Place for Butterflies

by Melis­sa Stewart

illus by Hig­gins Bond

Peachtree, Third Edi­tion, 2024

for ages 5–9

ISBN 978–1‑68263–663‑3 (HC)

ISBN 978–1‑56145–784‑7 (PB)

Un Lugar Para Mariposas

ISBN 978–1‑68263–546‑9 (PB)

Pur­chase either of these books at your local inde­pen­dent book­seller or Amazon.com.

But­ter­flies fill our world with beau­ty and grace. But some­times we do things that harm them. Stun­ning illus­tra­tions and sim­ple, gen­tle lan­guage intro­duce young read­ers to some of the ways human action and inac­tion can affect but­ter­fly pop­u­la­tions. More than just a book about our favorite insects, A Place for But­ter­flies opens read­ers’ minds to a wide range of envi­ron­men­tal issues.

Honors and Awards

  • Bank Street Col­lege Best Children’s Bk of the Year, Science
  • Green Earth Book Award
  • Iza­ak Wal­ton League Con­ser­va­tion Book of the Year
  • Kansas State Read­ing Cir­cle Rec­om­mend­ed Read­ing List
  • Sci­ence Books & Films Best Books for Children
  • Soci­ety of School Librar­i­ans Inter­na­tion­al Best Book, Science
  • Young Hoosier Award Nom­i­nee 2009–2010

Reviews

“Rich with col­or and detail, Bond’s paint­ings offer plen­ty for chil­dren to see while they learn the facts about but­ter­flies and the acces­si­ble mes­sage about con­ser­va­tion.” (Book­list)

“With its empha­sis on con­ser­va­tion, read­ers learn the butterfly’s role in the habi­tat and are taught how to attract and pro­tect local species. Gor­geous art­work shows up-close por­traits of each but­ter­fly, as well as a larg­er, detailed view of its habi­tat.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Eye-catch­ing and infor­ma­tive … Stew­art describes the niche but­ter­flies fill as pol­li­na­tors and their impor­tance in com­plex food chains, and offers tips on help­ing these frag­ile flut­terers con­tin­ue to dec­o­rate our land­scapes. Bond’s real­is­tic acrylics keep col­or­ful step, plac­ing the starred but­ter­flies and their cater­pil­lars in their pre­ferred loca­tions.” (School Library Jour­nal)

“This beau­ti­ful­ly illus­trat­ed book high­lights some com­mon and not-so-com­mon but­ter­fly species. [It’s] a won­der­ful way to intro­duce chil­dren to a vari­ety of but­ter­flies and high­light the fact that dif­fer­ent species have dif­fer­ent needs. The book also makes a strong state­ment about human influ­ence on the sur­vival of these beau­ti­ful organ­isms.” (Sci­ence Books & Film)

“Stew­art com­bines the best parts of a field guide with engag­ing sto­ries about envi­ron­men­tal con­cerns fac­ing but­ter­flies across our coun­try.” (Itha­ca Child)

Behind the Book

“This book start­ed with a trip to a near­by wildlife sanc­tu­ary in 2001. Sci­en­tists there were help­ing the local elec­tric com­pa­ny devel­op a mow­ing sched­ule for pow­er lines that run along one edge of the sanc­tu­ary. It was prime habi­tat for Harris’s check­erspots, and the elec­tric com­pa­ny didn’t want to mow down the eggs or cater­pil­lars. It was a great sto­ry, but not enough for a book. Over the next few months, I col­lect­ed more but­ter­fly sto­ries and wrote a pro­pos­al. Edi­tor Vicky Holifield loved the idea and I soon had a con­tract. But research­ing and writ­ing the man­u­script took time. So did cre­at­ing the illus­tra­tions. In the end, the time from inspi­ra­tion to pub­li­ca­tion was five long years.”

Series at a Glance

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A Place for …

A Place for Butterflies

by Melis­sa Stewart

illus by Hig­gins Bond

Peachtree, Third Edi­tion, 2024

for ages 5–9

ISBN 978–1‑68263–663‑3 (HC)

ISBN 978–1‑56145–784‑7 (PB)

Un Lugar Para Mariposas

ISBN 978–1‑68263–546‑9 (PB)

Pur­chase either of these books at your local inde­pen­dent book­seller or Amazon.com.

Book Extensions

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