However, there are many nice books for preschoolers about butterflies. This particular book's special quality is in the way it invites the reader to imagine what it's like to be a butterfly. My preschoolers greatly enjoy "acting out" the book, starting as a caterpillar eating it's way out of an egg. The text is perfect for a simple preschooler "play". It gives them a creative way to move and physically explore what they've learned.
The ending to the book is very nice, too. Rather than just stopping once the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, or after explaining the common activities of butterflies, the book draws the reader back to reality. The reader doesn't look like a butterfly; the reader looks like, and is, a human child. The book briefly contrasts the differences between the butterfly and the human, listing good things about being a human.
The final pages list interesting facts about butterflies. Most are just a bit too complex for young preschoolers, but early grade school children should appreciate them. The admonition to not touch a butterfly's wings is well done and a nice way to end the book.