Hurry and the Monarch

Hurry and the Monarch tells the lifecycle of a monarch butterfly from the perspective of a tortoise, ironically named Hurry. It starts with the monarch's migration as winter nears, putting the caterpillar and chrysalis phases much later in the book. The unconventional timeline works well, with the beautiful butterflies catching children's attention immediately. I know The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic but I tire of page after page of eating.

There are a lot of locations, largely in Texas, mentioned as the monarch migrates. I'm sure it's a popular book in those places but for most people it's not going to mean much. The rest of the educational focus plays better. The personality clash between the short-lived monarch and long-lived tortoise is enjoyable. The art is gorgeous.