Winged Wonders: Solving The Monarch Migration Mystery

Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery

Product Description 2020 Golden Kite Nonfiction Honor Award 2020 EUREKA Excellence in Nonfiction Honor Award 2020 Finalist AAAS/Subaru Award 2020 Kirkus Best Picture Books 2021 Bank Street Best Children's Books 2020 NCTE Notable Book For decades, as the monarch butterflies swooped through every year like clockwork, people from Canada to the United States to Mexico wondered, "Where do they go?" In 1976 the world learned the answer: after migrating thousands of miles, the monarchs roost by the millions in an oyamel grove in Central Mexico's mountains. But who solved this mystery? Was it the scientist or the American adventurer? The citizen scientists or the teacher or his students? Winged Wonders shows that the mystery could only be solved when they all worked as a team--and reminds readers that there's another monarch mystery today, one that we all must work together to solve. Review STARRED REVIEW So, who solved the mystery of the monarch butterfly migration? Was it white Canadian scientist Fred, or was it the Indigenous people of the Sierra Madre mountains? A fascinating and inspiring STEAM-driven tale. --Kirkus Reviews Bright cartoon-style illustrations in oranges, greens, and black highlight realistic butterflies and countryside foliage. VERDICT This book offers solid information about monarch butterflies and good ideas for classroom projects. ----School Library Journal To nature lovers of all ages and anyone who has ever wanted to know how to help the butterfly population. --Kids' Book Buzz Winged Wonders ends with a plea to help save the diminishing monarch population. The last spread encourages readers to be a part of preserving landing spots and airstreams on which the monarchs depend. The back matter includes more about the migration discovery as well as ways in which everyone can help monarchs. -- -- Carol Baldwin's Blog Winged Wonders is a wonderful addition to any homeschool unit on butterflies or migration! I know some mamas who adore monarchs and this is going to be a homerun! --Homeschool by the Beach blog Excerpt: This is an excellent nonfiction picture book to use for a STEM unit, to promote an appreciation of insects or our planet, and for the inspiration it furnishes readers. This book should be in all personal and professional collections. -- --Librarian's Quest blog From the Author For me, this book is about honoring all the people it takes to make a "discovery" like this one, and about getting kids curious to ask about whose voices and actions are heard in stories of "discovery." Rather than just centering one scientist (who often gets credit), I wanted to expand the story of tracking this amazing Great Monarch Migration through three countries to include the people of Central Mexico, the citizen scientists across the continent, and the women members of the team. I also wanted to show how many decades some of the pieces took to put together, and that it took people connecting with one another to do it. My hope is that it's a story about curiosity, inclusivity, persistence, and compassion