Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

This School Library Journal Best Book of the Year celebrates everything butterfly, from migration to metamorphosis! Kids will love reading about Velma's own transformation from a timid first grader into a confident scientist.

It's hard to be Velma entering first grade. That's because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders, and no one even notices Velma. But all that changes on a class trip to the butterfly conservatory, a place neither of her sisters has been. When a monarch roosts on Velma's finger and won't budge for days—no one will ever forget it . . . or her! 

Here's the perfect addition to any science curriculum. 

Kevin Hawkes is the author and illustrator of The Wicked Big Toddlah and The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York, and is the illustrator of many well-loved books for young readers including Imagine That:! How Dr. Seuss Wrote the Cat in the Hat, Library Lion, My Little Sister Ate One Hare, My Little Sister Hugged an Ape, And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends, The Road to OzVelma Gratch, and The Way Cool Butterfly. He lives in Gorham, Maine. View titles by Kevin Hawkes
  • WINNER | 2007
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • NOMINEE
    ALA Alex Award
  • NOMINEE
    California Young Reader Medal
  • NOMINEE
    Indiana Young Hoosier Award
  • NOMINEE
    Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
  • NOMINEE
    Nebraska Golden Sower Award
  • NOMINEE
    New York State Charlotte Award

About

This School Library Journal Best Book of the Year celebrates everything butterfly, from migration to metamorphosis! Kids will love reading about Velma's own transformation from a timid first grader into a confident scientist.

It's hard to be Velma entering first grade. That's because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders, and no one even notices Velma. But all that changes on a class trip to the butterfly conservatory, a place neither of her sisters has been. When a monarch roosts on Velma's finger and won't budge for days—no one will ever forget it . . . or her! 

Here's the perfect addition to any science curriculum. 

Author

Kevin Hawkes is the author and illustrator of The Wicked Big Toddlah and The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York, and is the illustrator of many well-loved books for young readers including Imagine That:! How Dr. Seuss Wrote the Cat in the Hat, Library Lion, My Little Sister Ate One Hare, My Little Sister Hugged an Ape, And to Think That We Thought That We'd Never Be Friends, The Road to OzVelma Gratch, and The Way Cool Butterfly. He lives in Gorham, Maine. View titles by Kevin Hawkes

Awards

  • WINNER | 2007
    School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
  • NOMINEE
    ALA Alex Award
  • NOMINEE
    California Young Reader Medal
  • NOMINEE
    Indiana Young Hoosier Award
  • NOMINEE
    Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
  • NOMINEE
    Nebraska Golden Sower Award
  • NOMINEE
    New York State Charlotte Award

Mental Health Awareness Month Resources

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and addressing student wellness and mental health is critical to help children learn how to manage emotions, develop healthy identities, empathize with peers, and pursue individual goals. We created thematic guides and book lists to help foster important conversations to build an inclusive environment where emotions matter. Explore our social emotional

Read more

Books for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Each May, we honor the stories, histories, and cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Below is a selection of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction books by AANHPI creators to share with your students this month and throughout the year. AANHPI Creators – Elementary School titles  

Read more