The Interesting Thing About Butterflies.....

     I picked up a beautiful book about butterflies at the "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center."  It first caught my eye because of the beautiful illustrations in watercolor.  I love watercolor!  The title of the book is, A Butterfly Is Patent, written by Dianna Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long.  They describe and illustrate 10 interesting thoughts about butterflies:

• A butterfly is patient
• A butterfly is creative
• A butterfly is helpful
• A butterfly is protective
• A butterlfy is poisonous
• A butterfly is spectacular
• A butterfly is thirsty
• A butterfly is big and tiny
• A butterfly is scaly
• A butterfly is not a moth
• A butterfly is a traveller
• A butterfly is magical

While I was reading the book this weekend I was comparing it to my five year-old students and most of them applied (I cancelled a few of them :)  Five year-olds can be a lot like butterflies.

     As stated in the book, butterflies are also pollinators.  The kids have certainly been pollinators as they have shared what they have been doing to friends, neighbors and even strangers.  They leave a little trail of "pollen" everywhere they go.

     The largest butterfly in the world has wings that can span up to 1 foot.  The smallest is one third of an inch.  It doesn't matter how big or tiny they are, they are still pollinators....just like my kids :)

     Another section of the book that I found interesting was, "A butterfly is a traveller."  In Dianna Aston's book is says,  

"Most butterflies, such as the Red Admiral or the Common Buckeye, migrate a short distance to find a warmer place, but some, like the Monarch, travel far.  Although Monarchs weigh only as much as a few rose petals, they can fly almost 3,000 miles (4, 828 km) from Canada to their winter home in Mexico, at a rate of 20 miles per hour.  Glider pilots have reported seeing Monarchs flying at an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,352.8 m) - higher than some clouds!"

Powerful little things!

     By now you probably think I am nuts about butterflies.  Actually, I have never really thought about them before.  I am just enjoying the analogies.  Just like a 1/3 of an inch butterfly can make a difference, so can one 35 pound five year-old.  Just as the butterfly travels so far, so has the effect of the 5 year-old as people watch him work hard to raise money for another child that needs mobility.  Butterflies, and children, are powerful creations that can make a huge difference and that difference can multiply over and over again.