Growing up in the early 20th century, Fred Urquhart was fascinated by monarch butterflies and wondered where they went in winter. As an adult, he became an entomologist focused on tracking monarchs. But he didn’t do it alone. Norah, his wife, helped him develop a tag for the butterflies and publicize his work. Publicity was important, as they had embarked on the first monarch citizen science project, which relied on people (including schoolchildren) in the United States and Canada to help capture, tag, and release monarchs, and to report the tags of butterflies they found. Fred and Norah mapped and followed the data, driving south in search of the monarchs. They were home in Toronto in 1975 when two of their assistants in Mexico were guided by knowledgeable locals to the winter home of the monarchs; a year later, Fred and Norah saw it for themselves. Lively mixed-media illustrations are a bright accompaniment to this engaging account (although the book would have benefitted from in-text references to dates). The welcome, informative author’s note begins by acknowledging that people living in central Mexico were well aware of the monarchs wintering there long before researchers made this “discovery.” The volume concludes with a message from Dr. Karen S. Oberhauser, monarch researcher and director of the UW–Madison Arboretum.   (Ages 6-9)

A gorgeous picture book based on the true story of a scientist who solves the mysteries of monarch butterfly migration—with the help of schoolchildren! A perfect story for nature lovers of all ages from the Caldecott Honor winning author of The Noisy Paint Box

Young Fred Urquhart was fascinated by insects, especially his favorite, the monarchbutterfly. He wondered where monarchs spent the winter. No one knew. After he became an entomologist (bug scientist),Fred and his wife, Norah,tagged hundreds of butterflies,hoping to solve the mysteryof the monarchs. But they soon discovered that they needed help. They started a “butterfly family,” a community of children, teachers, and nature enthusiasts fromthree countries––Canada, the United States,and Mexico––to answer the question: Where do the monarchs go?

Detailed materials in the back of the book include maps of monarch migration, the life cycle of the butterfly, and the cultural relevance of monarch butterflies in Mexico, as well as information on environmental efforts towards monarch conservation.