Butterfly Count

Hardcover; 32 pages; Holiday House (2002)

by Sneed B. Collard III - Illustrated by Paul Kratter


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Kindergarten-Grade-3 - A gentle family story with an environmental message. Amy and her mother are taking part in the Fourth of July butterfly count on a stretch of land that belonged to the girl's great-great-grandmother and was turned over to a conservation group for a prairie restoration project. Nora Belle's favorite butterfly, a regal fritillary, is now rarely seen, but is the one that Amy is hoping to find. With the help of a field guide, she lists the numerous species she encounters and finally spots the elusive species in the family's burial plot, which stands on "the last patch of prairie in the county that was never plowed." Soft watercolor illustrations of prairie grasses, plants, and butterflies quietly illuminate this tranquil tale. Information about and portraits of 14 butterflies are offered at the end of the book, along with details on how to take part in the North American Butterfly Count and how to obtain a guide for planting a butterfly garden.