Once Upon a Book ~ Waiting for Wings

 
Waiting for Wings

by Lois Ehlert

Summary:  An easy to read and colorful book capturing the lifecycle of a butterfly.  Contains uniquely shaped pages and a picture glossary of the various flowers and butterflies found in the book.   This book has some serious eye candy! 

Bible Verse 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Butterflies are amazing creatures that easily demonstrate to a child how God can completely transform a creature. A caterpillar starts out consumed with the desire to eat and is only able to move small distances over land.  They are often ugly and gangly.  In a relatively short time, they emerge from the covering of a chrysalis into a new and beautiful creation.  Free and gorgeous.  Likewise, before we know Jesus we are stuck in our sin and unable to move mountains.  But once we find freedom in Christ, we are a new creation, filled with the Holy Spirit and only needing faith the size of a mustard seed to do amazing things for God!

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We have learned a lot about butterflies this past month.

Well, most of us have learned about butterflies.  Smiley was a little bit oblivious to the butterflies when we went to the zoo.



Did you know that the difference between a moth and a butterfly is that a moth makes a cocoon and a butterfly creates a chrysalis?  And when a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, it has to dry off its wings?  Get this . . . when a caterpillar first hatches, it eats its egg shell and then goes on to consume more food. 

We also read, and I give you this list because these books greatly enhanced our learning:

• Go, Critter, Go!  Fly, Butterfly, Fly!  by Dana Meachen Rau (perfect for YOUNG Tots!)
  
• Hurry and the Monarch by Antoine O Flatharta
  
• Fly, Monarch!  Fly! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
  
• Are You a Butterfly? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries
  
• My, Oh My – A Butterfly!  by Tish Rabe (my favorite and another Cat in the Hat Learning Library book)
  
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Care
  
  
  
  

Practice Molting!

Molting is the process a caterpillar goes through when it outgrows its old skin.  It wiggles out of its old skin and uncovers its new skin.  

Have your child climb into a sleeping bag and wiggle out of the bag, pretending to molt!

Get Out Your Proboscis!

Go to The Dollar Store or party store and purchase a few party blowers.  Allow your kids to make as much noise as they want, pretending to use their proboscis (party blower) to drink nectar from flowers outside. 

Play a Bug Game  

 

You’re Bugging Me

by Educational Insights

I like this game because it works with colors, left and right, sorting, and small motor skills.  And you can take it a step farther and learn about the bugs attached to your arm!  Whenever this game comes out to play – it is a big hit!  Up to four people can play.

Stained Glass Wall Hangings

Butterfly Stained Glass Coloring Book

By Ed Sibbett

Before we went to the zoo, I prepared the kids to appreciate the shape and color of butterflies.  The pictures are printed on translucent paper, allowing you to hang it on the window for a stained glass effect. 

Crafty Big Butterflies

Supplies:

• large white construction paper
  
• glitter, sequins, pom-pom balls, etc.
  
• chenille wire
  
• markers or crayons . . . even watercolor or paint
  
• glue
  
• wiggly eyes
  

Directions:

• draw the shape of a butterfly
  
• color the body of the butterfly black if you have a young tot and cut out the butterfly beforehand
  
• allow them to decorate the butterfly
  
• help them attach the chenille wire to the head of the butterfly for the antennae
  
• glue the eyes on the body

Helpful Websites:

 

• from our very own Valerie, Preschool Post butterfly unit with lesson plan
• Lapbook Lessons has a great butterfly lapbook and is the one we made, too.
• Butterfly Lapbook (Homeschool Share)
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Homeschool Share)
• Butterfly Pintables (Enchanted Learning)

Joke

Question:  Why did the butter jump off of the table?
Answer:  It wanted to be a butterfly!

Thanks for being a part of Totally Tots, Sir Honey!  I’ll miss doing these posts with you.  Next month, when I write, Smiley will be the featured Tot for Once Upon a Book.  

 

Want to see what's coming next (and books we've done in the past)? Click here to see our Once Upon a Book webpage!