Traveling Butterflies [Hardcover]

Monarch butterfly migration is one of nature’s great mysteries. How do monarchs manage to fly some 2,500 miles from Canada and the northern United States south to Mexico? How do they trace a route they’ve never flown and reach the same destination their ancestors once found?

Traveling Butterfliesindulges the awe these creatures inspire by taking a poetic, meditative look at the monarch’s life cycle. In a lyrical voice that seamlessly blends fact and storytelling, the book zooms in to show a monarch’s progression from an egg the size of a dewdrop through growth, metamorphosis, and preparation for their journey south.

Rich illustrations in a vibrant color palette bring the butterflies to life and depict the rural and urban landscapes through which they fly. Rounded out with a page of factual text about monarchs and their migration, this informational picture book will leave readers equal parts informed and entranced.

A Junior Library Guild selection, 2015

Pennsylvania Center for the Book's A Baker's Dozen: The Best Children's Books for Family Literacy selection, 2016

Shingu's economical yet poetic language is well-suited to the sparseness of his images.
–Publisher's Weekly

Expressive text...Shingu provides lush, bold illustrations...a brief, but useful introduction to butterfly ecology.
—School Library Journal

Combining the precision of science with the grace of poetry and lovely illustrations, this book is natural for budding etymologists.
—Kirkus Reviews

Beautiful.
—Booklist

At once poetic and informative...perfectly suited for shared reading.
—The Horn Book Inc.

An enjoyable read for those intrigued by the impressive travels of a delicate insect. Highly recommended.
—Canadian Review of Materials

Descriptive language and colorful illustrations maklc0