Caterpillars and butterflies are very cool. They're great for preschoolers because they can be used to teach about so many different science topics, from metamorphosis to camouflage. They're also interesting, colorful, and easy to raise in class. There are a lot of butterfly books, too. In your preschool, you could read one of these favorite butterfly books.

Butterfly Books for Preschoolers

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

With its simple story and beautiful art, this well-known story is an educational goldmine! When do you want to work? Counting? People who eat healthy food Life goes through stages. They all come up in the story of a caterpillar looking for the right food to cure his munchies and help him grow.

Extending the learning: It's easy to tell this story in order. They're easy to make so the kids can retell the story. Make a "caterpillar cafe" with the food you make for play. Make sure the kids can remember what the caterpillar ate on each day of the week during your calendar time.

Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

There are 10 little caterpillars in this beautiful book. One by one, they go off on their own adventures. If you think it looks like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, you're right. The same illustrator, Lois Elhert, is behind both books. Amazingly, this book has labels on all of the different kinds of caterpillars and plants that it shows. It also has a picture glossary at the end that can help you understand the words on the pages.

In this book, there are ten caterpillars that are hidden in a sensory bin full of leaves. You can buy the caterpillars from a store, or you can make them out of pipe cleaners. For extra practice with fine motor skills, use large tweezers or tongs to pick up the caterpillars. Another great way to make the book come to life is to make a caterpillar/butterfly matching game with images from the book.

Waiting for Wings by Lois Elhert

If you want to read "Ten Little Caterpillars" with your kids, Lois Elhert has a book about butterflies and caterpillars that you can read with them. This is what she talks about in her book. She talks about how butterflies come to be, what they eat, and a lot more. When she talks about the four different types of butterflies that live, she talks in simple rhymes.

It's a good idea to use the guide in the back of the book to help you plant a butterfly garden for the kids to enjoy.

The Crunching Munching Caterpillar by Sheridan Cain and Jack Tickle

In this story, Caterpillar wants to fly very much. All of his friends, like Sparrow, Bumblebee, and Butterfly, can fly. He's too heavy and doesn't have wings. Afterward, Butterfly tells him to follow his dreams.

This story is a good one to retell with your class.

From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Debra Hilligman

This book is interesting because of its child-friendly tone of voice. If you want to learn more, you can learn words like metamorphosis and chrysalis. In this book, the main character is a Painted Lady butterfly, which is the kind that often comes in mail order kits that can be easily bought for a classroom. This makes it even better! Back in the book is another beautiful glossary of the different kinds of butterflies and caterpillars that students might find on their own.

The natural next step for this book is to hatch your own caterpillars and watch them grow. A lot of students will like the illustrations because they are very close to what they will see.

Clara Caterpillar by Pamela Duncan Edwards

This book has a lot of great things about it. Besides alliteration, it talks about how camouflage can help some animals avoid being eaten, and it even talks about the fact that everyone has unique abilities, no matter what.

Then, take a nature walk with your students and see if they can find any hidden creatures. Students who are older can help you find the letter C when it shows up in a book.

Monarch Butterfly by Gail Gibbons

This is a book that only older preschoolers should read. It's a long book, but it has a lot of scientific information, down to how monarch butterflies move around in the world. It's great for learning new things and looking up facts.

Butterfly’s Surprise: A Lift the Flap Book by Grace Maccarone (author) and Valentina Belloni (illustrator)

Lift the flap and see what's inside. Kids will be excited to open the flaps for the butterfly so she can find the surprise her parents have left for her. They'll also find other springtime creatures hidden in the book's fun illustrations. At the end, they'll get a rainbow and a new butterfly friend.

Butterflies and Moths by Scarlett Wing

This is a great way to teach your child about butterflies and moths in a fun way. This book can help you learn the difference between them. Butterfly types are talked about in this article. The embossed pictures are also a great way for your toddler to learn as they touch and feel them, which is how they learn best, as well.

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison (author) and Kevin Hawkes (illustrator)

Velma is having a hard time getting into first grade because her older sisters always compare her to them. She feels like no one cares about her. As soon as the monarch leaves the butterfly conservatory, she picks a finger to perch on for a long time. This is something that Velma's sister never did, and it makes sure that no one will ever forget her!

La Mariposa by Francisco Jimenez (author) and Simon Silva (illustrator)

As a child, Francisco has a hard time learning another language at school. This book tells the story of how Francisco helps him learn. An unkind bully isn't making this change any easier, either. A book about the life cycle of a butterfly helps him learn this new language on his own. But he still can't figure out what those words mean. This is a good story for teaching kids about how to be more understanding and tolerant of other people.

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