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Aston/Long
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on

a
a t From the creators of the award-winning
Fl

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Co m m An Egg Is Quiet and A Seed Is Sleepy

M
ic
h comes this gorgeous and infor mative

lyp
Dianna Hutts Aston is introduction to the world of butterflies.

og
the author of many best-selling From the tiny Arian Small Blue to the

Hier
grand Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing,
books for children. She is also

Ma l a
l an incredible variety of butterflies are
the founder of The Oz Project, e
w celebrated here in all their beauty and
a nonprofit foundation which pro- Je

y
h t a wonder.

L
ce
v ides inspirational hot air balloon
n lig w
experiences to disadvantaged oo i ng
Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this
M
children. For merly of Texas, she book introduces children to an astound-

now lives in San Miguel de Allende, ing array of butterfly facts, making it

A Butterfl y Is Patient
equally at home in a classroom reading
Mexico. Learn more about Dianna
circle as it is being read to a child on a
at w w w.diannahuttsaston.com.
parent’s lap.

Sylvia Long

k
is the award-
P R A I SE FOR AN EGG IS QUIET

ea
winning illustrator of many

tr
rs
i “A delight for budding naturalists.”
best-selling books for children. a
H — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

gs
Her detailed paintings are inspired p le

eg
ur
by her love of animals and the
a t P

il
Gre

ta
outdoors. She lives in Scottsdale,

w
ll o
Arizona, with her husband and “. . . pleases on both an

a
Sw
their dogs, Jackson and Tr uman. aesthetic and intellectual level.”

e
Her prev ious books include Sylvia — Publishers Weekly, starred review

in
ev
Long’s Thumbelina, Sylvia Long’s “. . . a jewel of a picture book . . .

Pip
Mother Goose, and Hush Little awe-inspiring”

Baby. Learn more about Sylv ia at —Book Sense Picks

w w w.sylv ia-long.com. 2006 Cybil Award for nonfiction

Mala
y L
ac
2007 NCTE Outstanding Nonfiction
e

for Children
w
in
g

P R A I SE FOR A SEED IS SLEEPY

“. . . will stretch children’s minds and

CHRONICLE BOOKS publishes distinctive imaginations.”

— School Library Journal, starred

Aston
books and gifts that are instantly rec-
Sylvia
s
review
ognizable for their spirit and creativ ity.
u tt L on
To become part of our community,
H g
a
v isit w w w.chroniclebooks.com. “. . . will encourage kids to wonder

nn
Gre about the plant world’s mysterious,
Ba
ia r gorgeous spectrum of possibilities.”

en n
C

o
—Booklist
om

o
m

JACK ET IL LUS TR ATION S © 2011 BY SY LVIA LONG.

e
n
Bucke
y

M A N UFACT UR E D IN CHINA , IN JA N UARY 2011.

S
tyr
 y
ll ar
r i ti
For my Sri Lankan friend and diviner of codes,

F
d
Dilshan Madawala. —D. A.

te
ot
Sp
For my father—Frank J. Carlisle, Jr.—the blue-eyed
sailor, who is my source for all things wise and wonderful.
Among other things, he taught me the value of an interest
in the natural world and our place in it. —S. L.

yed S
e-E a
lu il o
r
B

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

Victoria Rock, editor, and Sara Gillingham, book designer,

for their wisdom and dedication to quality in children’s books.

Jeffrey S. Pippen, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University; Nicky Davis, Wild Utah Project, Butterflies
and Moths; Linden Gledhill, photographer, Philadelphia, PA; Adrian Hoskins, LearnAboutButterflies.com, Hampshire,
England; Teh Su Phin, Panang Butterfly Farm, Malaysia; Lizanne Whiteley, Conservation of Butterflies in South Africa;
Robert N. Wiedenmann, Dept. of Entomology, University of Arkansas; Silvia Mecenero, South African Butterfly
Conservation Assessment; Steve Woodhall, President, Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa; Jean-Claude Petit,
Butterflies of Sangau National Park, Ecuador; Niklas Wahlberg, Dept. of Biology, University of Turku, Finland;
Andr Victor Lucci Freitas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, S o Paulo, Brazil;
Museum Victoria’s Discovery Centre, Victoria, Australia; Gareth S. Welsh, Butterfly World,
Stockton-on-Tees, England; Thomas Neubauer, ButterflyCorner.net, Germany; John J. Obrycki, Chair,
Dept. of Entomology, University of Kentucky; Halmar Taschner, South African Nursery Assoc.; Melani Hugo,
Butterfly Garden at Ludwig’s Rose Farm, Gauteng, South Africa; Tim Loh, British Columbia, Canada

Text ©
2011 by Dianna Aston.
Illustrations ©
2011 by Sylvia Long.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Aston, Dianna Hutts.
A butterfly is patient / by Dianna Aston ; illustrated by Sylvia Long.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8118-6479-4
1. Butterflies—Juvenile literature. I. Long, Sylvia. II. Title.
QL544.2.A87 2011
595.78’9—dc22
2010008548

Book design by Sara Gillingham.

Sylvia Long
on
Ast
Handlettered by Anne Robin and Sylvia Long.
The illustrations in this book were rendered in watercolor.

t ts
Hu
Manufactured by Toppan Leefung, Da Ling Shan Town, Dongguan, China, in December 2010

a
nn
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

This product conforms to CPSIA 2008. ia

D
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclekids.com
 y
ll ar
r i ti
For my Sri Lankan friend and diviner of codes,

F
d
Dilshan Madawala. —D. A.

te
ot
Sp
For my father—Frank J. Carlisle, Jr.—the blue-eyed
sailor, who is my source for all things wise and wonderful.
Among other things, he taught me the value of an interest
in the natural world and our place in it. —S. L.

yed S
e-E a
lu il o
r
B

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

Victoria Rock, editor, and Sara Gillingham, book designer,

for their wisdom and dedication to quality in children’s books.

Jeffrey S. Pippen, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University; Nicky Davis, Wild Utah Project, Butterflies
and Moths; Linden Gledhill, photographer, Philadelphia, PA; Adrian Hoskins, LearnAboutButterflies.com, Hampshire,
England; Teh Su Phin, Panang Butterfly Farm, Malaysia; Lizanne Whiteley, Conservation of Butterflies in South Africa;
Robert N. Wiedenmann, Dept. of Entomology, University of Arkansas; Silvia Mecenero, South African Butterfly
Conservation Assessment; Steve Woodhall, President, Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa; Jean-Claude Petit,
Butterflies of Sangau National Park, Ecuador; Niklas Wahlberg, Dept. of Biology, University of Turku, Finland;
Andr Victor Lucci Freitas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, S o Paulo, Brazil;
Museum Victoria’s Discovery Centre, Victoria, Australia; Gareth S. Welsh, Butterfly World,
Stockton-on-Tees, England; Thomas Neubauer, ButterflyCorner.net, Germany; John J. Obrycki, Chair,
Dept. of Entomology, University of Kentucky; Halmar Taschner, South African Nursery Assoc.; Melani Hugo,
Butterfly Garden at Ludwig’s Rose Farm, Gauteng, South Africa; Tim Loh, British Columbia, Canada

Text ©
2011 by Dianna Aston.
Illustrations ©
2011 by Sylvia Long.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Aston, Dianna Hutts.
A butterfly is patient / by Dianna Aston ; illustrated by Sylvia Long.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8118-6479-4
1. Butterflies—Juvenile literature. I. Long, Sylvia. II. Title.
QL544.2.A87 2011
595.78’9—dc22
2010008548

Book design by Sara Gillingham.

Sylvia Long
on
Ast
Handlettered by Anne Robin and Sylvia Long.
The illustrations in this book were rendered in watercolor.

t ts
Hu
Manufactured by Toppan Leefung, Da Ling Shan Town, Dongguan, China, in December 2010

a
nn
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

This product conforms to CPSIA 2008. ia

D
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94107
www.chroniclekids.com
 Gr
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H airstreak

It begins as an egg beneath an umbrella of leaves,

protected from rain, hidden from creatures that might
harm it . . . until the caterpillar inside chews free
from its egg-casing, tiny, wingless, hungry to grow.
 Gr
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rp
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It begins as an egg beneath an umbrella of leaves,

protected from rain, hidden from creatures that might
harm it . . . until the caterpillar inside chews free
from its egg-casing, tiny, wingless, hungry to grow.
 eye
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A caterpillar feeds on S

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shed its skin, many times.

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Once a caterpillar has eaten all that it needs, it creates

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 ongw ing
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Butterflies, like bees, help pollinate plants so that they

can reproduce, or make seeds. As a butterfly flits from
Ea

er flower to flower, sipping nectar, tiny grains of pollen

st

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all cling to its body, then fall away onto other flowers. Seeds
ow
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flowers of the same species. This is called pollination.

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 ongw ing
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Butterflies, like bees, help pollinate plants so that they

can reproduce, or make seeds. As a butterfly flits from
Ea

er flower to flower, sipping nectar, tiny grains of pollen

st

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Sw
all cling to its body, then fall away onto other flowers. Seeds
ow
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flowers of the same species. This is called pollination.

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 Or
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Wings can help butterflies camouflage,
or hide, themselves in the environment.
One kind of butterfly, the peacock butterfly,
makes a hissing sound by rubbing its
wings together when it is alar med.
Pea
coc

Butterflies use their wings to protect

k

themselves from predators such as hungry

birds, lizards, and other insects. Some
butterflies have markings on their wings
called eyespots. Scientists don’t know what
they are used for—perhaps to scare away
predators or attract mates!
 Or
an
ge
Oa
kl
e

a
f
O
w
l
Wings can help butterflies camouflage,
or hide, themselves in the environment.
One kind of butterfly, the peacock butterfly,
makes a hissing sound by rubbing its
wings together when it is alar med.
Pea
coc

Butterflies use their wings to protect

k

themselves from predators such as hungry

birds, lizards, and other insects. Some
butterflies have markings on their wings
called eyespots. Scientists don’t know what
they are used for—perhaps to scare away
predators or attract mates!
Pi
pe
vi
ne
Sw
al
low
ta
il

M
on
ar
ch
The warning colors of some butterflies’ wings—yellows,
reds, oranges, whites, and blacks—tell predators that
they are poisonous or bad-tasting. Monarchs, wanderers,
and pipevine swallowtails eat poisonous plants as
caterpillars so that they become poisonous as adults.
Birds and other insects have learned not to eat them!
Pi
pe
vi
ne
Sw
al
low
ta
il

M
on
ar
ch
The warning colors of some butterflies’ wings—yellows,
reds, oranges, whites, and blacks—tell predators that
they are poisonous or bad-tasting. Monarchs, wanderers,
and pipevine swallowtails eat poisonous plants as
caterpillars so that they become poisonous as adults.
Birds and other insects have learned not to eat them!