School Library Journal Review

Gr 6 Up-Written by Paul Opler, the author of Peterson's Field Guides to Eastern and Western Butterflies, this film provides an ideal introduction into both the fields of lepidoptery and butterfly gardening. It is full of vivid live-action footage and unique information about these important insects, ranging from butterfly anatomy to their environmental impact. The DVD is divided into six chapters: "Butterfly Basics," "Common American Butterflies," "Raising Butterflies from Caterpillars," "Butterfly Gardening Basics" "The Plant Gallery," and "The Butterfly Gallery." These divisions work well for lesson planning, as each one can be viewed separately, or cumulatively in staged or single sessions. Collectively, they offer everything a beginning butterfly enthusiast needs to confidently start attracting, observing, and understanding the lifecycle of the 30 most common species in North America. This resource would best serve public library users and gardening or biology clubs within a community or school.-Vincent M. Livoti Kresge Center for Teaching Resources, Ludcke Library, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.