21 Butterfly Life Cycle Books For Kids

by Judy Allen

This book is an absolutely adorable read aloud for 2nd grade! It presents the information from the perspective of the caterpillar/butterfly, which makes the story much more engaging for my students. I love that the text is fun, but still gives a ton of important facts about butterflies.

by Clare Jarrett

In this super cute rhyming tale, a little girl befriends and cares for a caterpillar. She feeds him and watches him grow until he suddenly disappears into a chrysalis and later transforms into a butterfly. Students will love the vibrant illustrations, poetic language, and fun story that this read aloud book presents!

by Victoria Kann

My students adore Pinkalicious! When Ms. Penny brings in caterpillars for the class, Pinkalicious befriends one and watches as it transforms into a beautiful butterfly. This book is perfect for a read aloud during a Life Cycles science unit! I like to read it after my students learn a little about the butterfly life cycle. Then I ask questions throughout the book about what Pinkalicious is observing.

by Tish Rabe

The Cat in the Hat is a crowd favorite with students, so this is one of the favorite butterfly books for 2nd grade in my class! The first part of the book describes the life cycle of butterflies and the second part gives details about how they see, eat, and avoid predators. As you might expect with The Cat in the Hat, this text also has a TON of rhyming. Perfect opportunity for ELA connections!

by Lois Ehlert

Go on a journey with four common species of butterflies as they transform from a tiny egg, to a caterpillar, and ultimately to a beautiful butterfly. What makes this book one of my favorite butterfly books for 2nd grade is its fun rhyming. It’s a really lovely read aloud book to complement science lessons about life cycles!

by Laura Marsh

National Geographic readers are awesome, and this is no exception! This book teaches young readers the steps a caterpillar has to take in order to become a butterfly. With skilled writing and fun vibrant pictures, this independent reading book is sure to capture the attention of young kids learning about the butterfly life cycle!

by Dona Herweck Rice

This Time for Kids book uses simple, yet informative text to tell readers about the key parts of the butterfly life cycle. The images are vivid and amazing for keeping kids engaged and interested! It’s a great independent or guided reading book for 1st and 2nd grade students to enjoy.

by Mary R. Dunn

Here’s another excellent independent reading option for young students learning about the butterfly life cycle! I love that the text is separated into different clear sections to help students better understand each step of the life cycle process. It also has critical thinking questions at the end, which is a great added bonus!

by Bobbie Kalman

Looking for more monarch-focused books? Check out this text, which will teach children all about the life cycle and migration of monarch butterflies. It has excellent details and some more advanced vocabulary, so it’s a terrific option for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders!

by Baby Professor

Young readers will learn a ton of enriching life cycle vocabulary terms in this butterfly book for 2nd grade! This text also includes some truly incredible close-up images of each stage of the butterfly’s life cycle.

by Dona Herweck Rice

I’m a huge fan of incorporating Spanish books into my classroom library for my ELLs and bilingual students, so I love that this Time for Kids text is available in a Spanish version! It includes all of the same educational text and vivid images–just in Spanish.

by Nancy Dickmann

This book is from the “Watch It Grow” series, and it’s a great independent reading option to teach emergent readers about the butterfly life cycle. The information in the text is separated into sections with headings to make it easier for young readers to digest what they’re learning.

by Loree Griffin Burns

Have you ever heard of a butterfly farm? Take a look into one of Costa Rica’s in this book! This book is an excellent resource for learning more about a butterfly’s needs as well as its life cycle. It tells the unique story of butterflies who are raised carefully and then released into nature or sent to The Museum of Science in Boston. Extremely fascinating for children and adults!

by Dianna Aston

Using beautiful illustrations and vibrant vocabulary, this book teaches young readers some seriously interesting facts about butterflies. The fact that it shows and labels pictures of a variety of butterfly species makes it stand out from other butterfly books for 2nd grade!

by Bobbie Kalman

Learn the ins and outs of pollination and pollinators in this colorful and informative book. Students will get a new perspective on the significance of insect pollinators in the growth and survival of plants. With so much detailed information, you might learn something new while you read, too!

by Jennifer Boothroyd

Students will read about an important job that butterflies have in this book–pollination! Animal Pollinators includes all of the important pollination vocabulary words, but presents the information in a clear and simple way to make it easier to understand and digest for young readers.

by Nadia Higgins

Get a close-up look at exactly how insects, like butterflies, pick up pollen from flowers. This book teaches readers how pollination happens, including how each part of the flower contributes to the process. It also has a neat pollen experiment you can try with students in class!

by David M. Swartz

With its creatively written text and its close-up photographs, this book is fantastic at getting students to truly visualize the butterfly life cycle. As the title suggests, it focuses on the life of the monarch butterfly. It makes for a great whole group read aloud or an independent reading book!

by Carol Pasternack

Watching a caterpillar transform in real time is one of the most amazing things! That’s why I love when I have the opportunity to raise monarchs in my classroom. This book is a wealth of information about monarchs, their life cycles, and how to raise them. It also includes details about the challenges monarchs face and how we can help to keep them safe in today’s world.

by Gail Gibbons

Filled with gorgeous illustrations and helpful diagrams, this book is packed with information about monarch butterflies and their migration. In addition to discussing the monarch’s life cycle and migration, the author details their food, their predators, and how children can help monarchs in nature.

by Carolyn Scrace

Using beautiful artwork and clear, simple text, this book teaches young readers about the life cycle and migrations of monarch butterflies. The reading level makes this text a good option for independent reading in 2nd grade.