AUTHOR VISIT AT ECHO HORIZON SCHOOL, Culver City, CA

With librarian Claudette Brown at Echo Horizon School

I had a great time last Monday with the first and second graders at Echo Horizon School in Culver City. California. Many thanks to librarian, Claudette Brown for inviting me and for preparing the students for my visit. I loved their imaginary creatures inspired by my Hodag book! Each student had created their animal using the activity sheet downloadable from my website.

The children were very responsive to my presentation, asking lots of questions and answering mine. I was impressed that they all knew the terms “diurnal” and “nocturnal” when I showed them my Day and Night books.

I thank Children’s Book World for making my books available for purchase and signing. On my way to the school I picked up the books that had been ordered and signed them so that they could be delivered to the students after my talk.

As a bonus to my visit I happened upon a caterpillar on my way into school. (It was crawling along the sidewalk.) I picked it up, put it in a jar,  and shared it with the children—a perfect supplement to talking about my book Butterflies in Room 6. I brought it home where it has since made a chrysalis. Over the next two weeks it will metamorphosize and become a beautiful Mourning Cloak butterfly.

Mourning Cloak butterfly

BUTTERFLY HAIKU CRAFT PROJECT

Step 1. Haiku

Let a butterfly inspire you to write a short poem called a haiku. There are only three lines in a haiku, totaling 17 syllables. The first line is 5 syllables. The second line is 7 syllables. The third line is 5 syllables like the first.

Here is an example written by my daughter when she was in fourth grade:

Butterfly, graceful,

Fluttering around at day,

Eating pollen grains.

Step 2. Butterfly Cut-Out

You will need a large sheet of black paper, a smaller piece of brown paper, tissue paper, pencil, scissors, glue.

Draw the outline of a butterfly on the black paper. Cut it out.

Draw “windows” in the wings and cut them out. Cut out pieces of tissue paper and glue them to the back of the butterfly. If you like, you can add small pieces of colored paper for decoration.

Draw an oval shape on the brown paper for the butterfly’s body and cut it out. Write your haiku on the body. Glue the body to the center of the butterfly.

Final step. Tape your butterfly haiku cut-out to a window and let the light shine through!

You can learn more about butterflies in my book Butterflies in Room 6.

 

 

IT'S CATERPILLAR TIME! LEARN ABOUT PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLIES

Infographic from Carolina Biological Supply

Spring and summer are the perfect time to raise painted lady butterflies. This infographic from Carolina Biological Supply shows where they live and the four stages of life.

Cups of caterpillars from InsectLore. Everything the caterpillars need to grow is provided.

I just received my cups of caterpillars from InsectLore. The caterpillars (larva) will eat the special food at the bottom of the cups and in about two weeks form chrysalises. A week or so later they will emerge as beautiful butterflies.

Find out how a kindergarten class raised butterflies in their classroom and let them go in the school garden in my book BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6. 

HOW MANY LEGS ON YOUR BUTTERFLY?

Like most insects, all butterflies have six legs. However, at first glance your Painted Lady Butterflies may only look like they have four! The Painted Lady butterfly, like many other butterflies in the family Nymphalidae has two more legs that are tucked up tight against its body, just beneath the head. These are known as "vestigial" legs. Nymphalidae or "brush-footed" butterflies are known to have these two vestigial legs in addition to their four normal ones. This doesn't mean that these two legs are useless, however: many species including the Painted Lady have sensory hairs on these legs which help them smell and taste!

With thanks for this information from The Butterfly Pollinator, the online newsletter of Insect Lore.

You can order caterpillars from Insect Lore and raise your own painted lady butterflies. 

Learn about raising painted lady butterflies in my book Butterflies in Room 6.

Butterfly Bookmark Project

Soon it will be butterfly season! To grow your own butterflies, you can order caterpillars from Insect Lore or other companies on the internet. 

To learn about raising butterflies, you can read my book BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6.

With thanks to Insect Lore, you can get the link HERE to download directions for making your own folded paper butterfly to use as a bookmark or for decoration.

BEDTIME STORY JAM: Author Visit at Westwood Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA

Banner displaying participating authors' books welcomed families to the Bedtime Story Jam

Last Friday evening the children of Westwood Charter Elementary in Los Angeles, California, came to school dressed in their pajamas ready to listen to stories from me and nine other children’s book authors as part of the school's annual Bedtime Story Jam. The goal of the event is promoting literacy and inspiring young story tellers and writers. In between sessions the children ate milk and cookies and browsed for books at the book fair in the library.

My presentation of Butterflies in Room 6 was in Room 4

This was my third time to participate in this fun celebration of reading. I had two groups of very enthusiastic children and their parents in my room. I showed slides, read my book Butterflies in Room 6, shared my butterfly growing supplies and samples of butterfly eggs and chrysalises, and signed books.

My butterfly habitat, caterpillar container, and samples showing butterfly development

I thank Shelby, my volunteer room host, for helping me to set up, introducing me, and for making sure that everything ran smoothly. Shelby’s aunt, who I have known for many years at the library at Palms Middle School, was also there and it was great to catch up on library news.

A young helper is demonstrating my Monarch Butterfly hand puppet.

I also thank Angie Rowe and Patricia Maynard and the Bedtime Story Jam committee for inviting me and organizing this festive event. Afterward they sponsored a reception on the library patio for the authors-- a wonderful chance to relax, chat with other authors and enjoy delicious food. And I thank Mrs. Nelson’s Book Fair Company for supplying my books for the event. I was pleased to see that so many had already been purchased by the night of the Story Jam.

Bedtime Story Jam banner

During the course of the evening I saw several families I knew and enjoyed meeting many other students and parents. Westwood Charter is one of my neighborhood schools and it is always a pleasure to be part of a local event.

STEM LitLinks for BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 at Patricia Newman's Blog

I am happy to contribute to Author/Speaker Patricia Newman's wonderful blog featuring ways to connect STEM books with literature in the classroom. My article Hands-On BUTTERFLY ACTIVITIES Reinforce Reading posted today, joining dozens of previous posts by other children's book science writers and illustrators. In my post I discuss reading strategies to use in the classroom with my book Butterflies in Room 6 along with activities that will help children understand the concepts in the book.
Thanks Patricia for the opportunity to contribute to your terrific site!

WHAT IS A CHRYSALIS? Learning about Butterflies

Chrysalis of a Painted Lady butterfly, just before the butterfly is ready to emerge. The caterpillar's shed skin is still attached at the top.

A butterfly has four stages of life-- egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly. The pupa is covered by a hard shell called a chrysalis. It protects the pupa as the pupa changes, or metamorphosizes, into a butterfly.

How do you pronounce chrysalis?
(KRIS-uh-lis)
What is the plural of chrysalis?
More than one chrysalis is chrysalises or chrysalides (kri-SAL-i-deez)

What is the origin of the word chrysalis?
It comes from the Latin word chrysallis which means gold-colored pupa of a butterfly and from the Greek word khrusos which means gold.

Monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis (at the Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC)

Each kind of butterfly has a different color and shape to its chrysalis.The chrysalis of the monarch butterfly has a ring of gold colored spots that make it look like it is wearing a gold necklace. Perhaps a chrysalis like that inspired the name.

Empty chrysalis, after the Painted Lady butterfly has emerged.

In my book, BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6, you can see the chrysalises of painted lady butterflies. They are brown. But the butterflies that emerge have beautiful black and orange wings.

VIDEO: Painted Lady Butterfly Migration and More

In the spring of 2019, Southern California experienced a mass migration of painted lady butterflies as they left their winter home in the deserts to the south and set off for their annual trip to the Pacific Northwest where they live in the summer. Painted lady butterflies live all over the world, on every continent except Australia.
In the spectacular PBS Nature video Sex, Lies, and Butterflies, the story of their migration from Africa to Europe is told, along with many other amazing facts about all kinds of butterflies. Here is the blurb for the video:

Butterflies have been making our planet more interesting and beautiful for more than 50 million years, and today a dazzling array of nearly 20,000 different species inhabit the globe. Nature: Sex, Lies and Butterflies follows the lives of these incredible and important insects from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to the emergence of the mature winged creature. This vibrant new Nature special explores the astonishing survival techniques of butterflies, including their 360° vision, deceptive camouflage, chemical weaponry, and fantastic flight across continents. Through sophisticated macro-filming, viewers get a rare glimpse beyond the butterflies’ bright colors and fragile beauty as they follow them on one of the greatest migrations on Earth. Narrated by Paul Giamatti.

You can read about a kindergarten class raising painted lady caterpillars in my book BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6: Watching Them Grow. 

HOW BUTTERFLIES SMELL WITH THEIR FEET, Nonfiction Minute by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Painted Lady Butterfly

Did you know that butterflies can detect smells with their feet? A female butterfly will test the smell of a leaf to find out what kind it is before laying her eggs. She needs to find out if it is a type of leaf that the caterpillars will eat after the eggs hatch.
For a perfect explanation of how butterflies do this, check out children's book science writer Dorothy Patent's Nonfiction Minute (1/24/2019).

Painted Lady butterfly eggs are blue and about the size of a grain of salt. The butterflies prefer to lay them on thistle or hollyhock plants.

To learn about Painted Lady Butterflies and their life cycle, read my new book, BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6.

REVIEW IN SLJ of BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6

The March issue of School Library Journal has another excellent review of BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6.

PreS-Gr 2.  Arnold returns to the same classroom she observed in Hatching Chicks in Room 6 (Charlesbridge, 2017). This time she joins Mrs. Best and her kindergarten students as they follow the progress of painted lady butterflies from small blue eggs to adult insects. Photos document the steps required to care for the creatures during their journey from egg to larva to pupa to adult. The intent expressions on the children’s faces reveal their engagement with the process and their delight as they watch the butterflies prepare to fly away. The close-up photos, including the sequence of a butterfly’s emergence from the chrysalis, draw readers into the transformation. The clear, straightforward text is supplemented by facts supplied in small text boxes. A vocabulary list plus suggested books and websites enhance the information. VERDICT. A solid choice for most libraries, particularly those supporting hands-on science learning.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State Univ. Lib., Mankato

CELEBRATING EARTH WEEK, Author Visit at Pilgrim School, Los Angeles, CA

Author Visit at Pilgrim School, Los Angeles, CA

Last week I visited Pilgrim School in Los Angeles, California, and presented to two enthusiastic groups of children--grades K through 2, and grades 3 through 5. I was pleased with their response to my program and good questions. With both groups I shared my new book Butterflies in Room 6, and showed them my cup of caterpillars. Many of the children recalled raising butterflies from caterpillars at school when they were in earlier grades.

Kathie Shorkey, Science Teacher, with butterfly art projects

My visit was initiated by science teacher Kathie Shorkey as part of her Earth Week celebration at the school. She showed me an art project she did with the first graders. Using found objects–ranging from sticks, to buttons, to pop-tabs from drink cans–they formed the shape of a butterfly on photo paper and then exposed the paper to the sun. The paper was then developed and the shape of the butterfly was revealed against a background of blue.

With Carole Koneff, Elementary School Librarian

I thank Kathie and Elementary School Librarian Carole Koneff for inviting me to Pilgrim and making all the arrangements for my presentation and for the book sale. Carole gets the prize for the most creative author introductions. She does them for all visiting authors and this is the second one she has done for me. I love the way she has included so many of my books--and made the lines rhyme!

CAROLINE ARNOLD--PILGRIM SCHOOL 4/25/19

By Carole Koneff

160 books or more have been researched and written down.

She's traveled far and wide and is often out of town.

Dinosaurs, Global Warming, Butterflies, Chicks,

Rain Forest, Easter Island, Things in Room 6,

Taj Mahal, Desert, Eagle, Warmer World,

Many facts and figures have gradually unfurled.

Skeletal, octopus, shockers, hot, cold,

Words from many titles of books that she has sold.

Wombat, Penguin, Zebra, Kangaroo,

Just a few of the animals she's written about for you.

She's retold a famous folk tale and has a story about worms,

A book about the sniffles that surely features germs.

It's her second trip to Pilgrim and we are glad she's back

To refresh our smarts on nonfiction and keep our brains on track.

Thank you Carole!  I also thank the Upper School Librarian Kris Williams for her help with my visit. I had a nice lunch with Carole and Kris before my talks. I had a great day at Pilgrim and enjoyed it very much!

CELEBRATING BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 with Mrs. Best, the Children and their Families

Kindergarten teacher Jennifer Best and Me in Room 6, Haynes Elementary, LAUSD

Last Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Best, the children in Room 6, their families and I celebrated the publication of BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 with a gala party in Mrs. Best's classroom at Haynes Elementary.

Mrs. Best's students in 2017, whose pictures are in the book

The kids were thrilled to receive their books, find the pictures of themselves in it and remember the thrill of raising painted lady butterflies. Afterward, we all enjoyed treats and special butterfly cupcakes. Many, many thanks to Jennifer Best, her students and their families. I couldn't have done the book without them!

Cupcakes with sugar butterflies

HOORAY! It’s Publication Day for BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6

HOORAY! Today is the official publication day for BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6, my new book about a kindergarten class raising painted lady butterflies. BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 follows a class of kindergartners as they raise butterflies--from tiny eggs, to caterpillars, to chrysalises, to beautiful butterflies, before releasing them in the school garden. 
I thank all the people at Charlesbridge Publishing who helped make this such a terrific book–my wonderful editor Alyssa Pusey, Susan, Joyce and Sarah for the book design, Yolanda, Karen, Julie, Diane, Cathy and everyone else who contributed to making this such a special book.
I couldn’t have written BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6 without the help of Jennifer Best and her kindergarten students at Haynes Charter for Enriched Studies in Los Angeles, California. I thank them for welcoming me into their classroom and for sharing the wonder of metamorphosis with me. Their excitement was contagious as they watched the caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies. I am also grateful to the children’s parents and the school principal, Barbara Meade, for their enthusiastic support.
It was great to work with Jennifer Best again. Two years ago I followed her class as they hatched eggs and learned about the life cycle of chickens. That experience became my book HATCHING CHICKS IN ROOM 6. Now we have a sequel! I am excited that it is now available to the public. Look for it at your favorite bookstore or online.

BUTTERFLIES IN ROOM 6

Author: Caroline Arnold Photographs by Caroline Arnold Age: 3-7 years Pages: 40 Publisher:Charlesbridge Publishing, 2019 ISBN: ( Hardcover ): 9781580897358 ISBN ( e-book ): 9781632897671