2010 Nominee: Velma Gratch & The Way Cool Butterfly

Velma starts first grade in the shadow of her memorable older sisters, and while her newfound interest in butterflies helps her to stand out, it also leads to an interesting complication.

Author: Alan Madison

• Biography and Photo (under events)

• Illustrator: Kevin Hawkes

• Biography and Photo

Book Activities

• Discussion questions: Are you the oldest, youngest or a middle child?  Did you ever have a bug crawl or land on you? How did it feel? Does Velma want to the butterfly to leave?  How do you think everyone will remember Velma?
  
• Reading/oral language: Make a vocabulary list of "big" insect words like conservatory, migration, metamorphosis.
  
• Writing: Write a story about the butterfly before or after he landed on Velma or after he left.
  
• Math: Use a map an figure out how far the Monarch flies to get to Mexico. Count how many butterflies are on each page.
  
• Science: Learn about the different butterflies mentioned in the story. Plant milkweed in cups to take home an plant for the Monarchs this summer.
  
• Social Studies: Use a US map to identify the states that have Monarchs. Do other countries have Monarchs?
  
• Cooking/Snack: Use an 8 inch square cake, a Twinkie and icing to make a butterfly cake. Butterfly snack ideas.
  
• Art/Drama: Dye coffee filters with watercolors to make butterflies. Use black pipe cleaners for the body.  Here are directions.
  
• Music/Movement: Listen to classical music and move like butterflies.
  
• Technology integration: Research the book online. Make a butterfly life cycle in Kidspiration. Use large font colored periods for the eggs. The other images are in the clip art.
  

Related Books

• By Alan Madison:
• Pecorino's First Concert
• 100 Days and 99 Nights
• The Littlest Grape Stomper
• Pecorino Plays Ball
• Other related books:
• Journey: Stories of Migration by Cynthia Rylant
• Millions of Monarchs by Connie Roop
• Hurry and the Monarch by Antoine O'Flaharta
• Monarch Butterfly of Aster Way by Elizabeth Ring
• Monarch Butterfly by Gail  Gibbons

Websites

• Monarch Watch
  Project North
• Awesome lesson plans and activities
  

Monarch Home

2010 Nominee Resources