How to Raise Monarch Butterflies ─ A Step-by-Step Guide for Kids

Revel in one of the most remarkable miracles of nature.

Observing a Monarch butterfly as it transforms itself from a black, white and yellow caterpillar and emerges from a chrysalis as a vivid orange, black and white butterfly is among the most thrilling experiences that nature offers. Raising Monarch butterflies from eggs collected from milkweed leaves, or from caterpillars plucked from the plant, is made easy with the help of this detailed guide to locating and hatching this distinctive insect.

With more than 50 unique, close-up photographs readers will learn about the life cycle of the Monarch and how to encourage populations in their own backyards, with tips on which plants to grow, as well as the care and feeding of their pet caterpillars. How to Raise Monarch Butterflies explains what threats face Monarchs and how readers can help conserve the Monarch's feeding grounds from encroachment.

The Monarch's amazing story doesn't end after it flutters away as a butterfly. In the fall, monarchs wing their way southward toward warmer climes in Mexico and California, and congregate in mass groupings in certain regions. The following spring, the cycle begins all over again.

Carol Pasternak is a photographer, personal trainer and educator who raises Monarch butterflies with her family in Toronto, Ontario.