As a monarch butterfly conservation advocate and author/illustrator of the children’s book AMAZING MATILDA, I was fortunate to capture several photos of these amazing butterflies at our farmstead in Central Maine this summer. This one landed on our phlox. Read along to discover more about our amazing monarch butterflies, and about my children’s picture book as well.
Here’s wishing that all of your days be amazing!
~ Bette A. Stevens
Monarch butterflies are a near-threatened species. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat.
Eighth-generation monarch butterflies in the US and Canada migrate south each fall—destination: Mexico and California’s coast where they over-winter before mating to create the first generation of monarchs for the northern migration that begins the following spring.
About Bette’s award-winning monarch butterfly children’s book
One concern parents have is how to inspire their children to meet challenges with patience and persistence. This is the plot of the award-winning picture book, AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarchs Tale, written and illustrated by Bette A. Stevens. In this story a caterpillar wants to learn how to fly. She asks all of her friends in the meadow, but doesn’t find an easy answer. Yet, she continues the quest until, at last, she becomes what she wants to be—a butterfly. AMAZING MATILDA offers adults the opportunity to inspire the children in their lives to meet everyday challenges with patience and persistence. Matilda and her friends will show them how to make their own dreams come true!
AMAZING MATILDA is available in Paperback ($9.49) and eBook ($3.99) versions OR purchase paperback and download the eBook for FREE! Take a “Look inside” at YOUR AMAZON
Stevens, a retired teacher, accurately portrays the Monarch’s life cycle in storyline and illustration. She has done extensive research on the Monarch: its diminishing habitat (milkweed plant) and its status as an indicator species in the global environment. During her research, she learned that Monarch markings are different for males and females. Males have black spots on their back wings. Hence, her story title: AMAZING MATILDA, (no black spots) was “hatched.” The Monarch is unique among butterflies: the only one of its genus that does not hibernate, but migrates instead.
- Explore Bette’s blog to find out more about monarch butterflies, download her FREE PDF + a FREE poster about how YOU can help protect
these amazing creatures (top tabs of blog).
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Comments on: "May All of Your Days be Amazing!" (9)
Hi, Joe. Thanks so much for your thoughtful note, so glad you liked MATILDA. “Happy First Birthday” to your little granddaughter. Grands are sure amazing…most of ours (except for Jayden/2nd grade now) are grown, but we have two little Great-grands now to amaze us. Troy was two in March and Olivia will be two this month. Enjoy the magical moments… Blessings to you and yours!
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Thanks, my amazing friend! ❤
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Hopefully we and and our gardens will get the benefit of perfect precipitation at the right time in 2015. The snow melted, the water ran in rivers along roadways and we too, did not get much rainfall during garden season. My gardens are such a mess, but the milkweed thrives… Now for more monarchs! Hope all is well with you and Gary. Dan and I are getting the apples and wood in (busy, busy) and hoping for a mild winter. ❤ Bette
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Hi, Nora. Thanks so much for sharing your own butterfly stories. We raised monarchs in the classroom when I was teaching fourth and fifth grade. They are truly magnificent creatures and giving the children a chance to watch the process from egg to imago! So many life lessons are learned and the eggfly and its camouflage is a great one too. Enjoy your students and have a wonderful school year. Again, thanks so much for stopping by to chat. Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
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It’s always a pleasure to find another butterfly lover! I am no longer in the classroom but this year I had the full life cycle of the ladybird on a tree in my backyard. It was awesome!
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Thank you, Lynz. Blessings! ❤
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blessings back!
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A ‘Butterfly Whisperer’ for sure! I can picture you now performing your monarch magic. Like the monarch butterflies, you are amazing too, Micki! ❤
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Thank you, Sharon. Enjoy your butterflies and all of those precious moments with your amazing grands! They do grow up so quickly…butterflies and grandchildren are special. Have a great day! Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ You’ll friend AMAZING MATILDA being read by “Blossom” the butterfly for United Way literacy program if you’d like a sneak peek inside at https://4writersandreaders.com/2015/09/11/author-bette-a-stevens-2/ . Hope you enjoy it!
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