Monarch & Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal by Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen

Monarch & Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal by Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen

Published March, 2026

Beech Lane Books

Nonfiction

Picture Book

48 Pages

Hardcover

Review copy provided by publisher

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Kirkus Starred Review

Goodreads Summary

A luminously illustrated and thoroughly informative picture book poetry collection by Sibert Honor–winning duo Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen that captures the beauty and complexity of monarch and mourning cloak butterflies.

Monarch and mourning cloak butterflies may seem similar on the surface; they are about the same size and common throughout North America. But following along at a butterfly’s-eye-view, readers will discover how they live in different habitats, eat different foods, and have different strategies for avoiding enemies and making it through winter. Because even though all butterflies have the same basic body features and life cycle, each species has its own special way of surviving.

Delightful and illuminating poems, informational sidebars, and lush illustrations will immerse curious young readers in the lives of these two fascinating butterfly species.

My Thoughts

In a letter to the reader, Stewart and Brannen describe this book as, "...a collage of poems and artwork that captures the beauty and complexity of butterflies while also revealing our creative process." 

It feels exactly like looking through a journal of a scientist or naturalist who has delved into studying the Monarch and Mourning Cloak Butterflies. The book is filled with poems about the butterflies that are illustrated to look like they are taped into the journal. The poems are accompanied by notes, sketches, diagrams, and timelines. There is so much to learn and explore. I found myself noticing something new with each reread. I can just picture my students poring over this book together. 

Reading Monarch and Mourning Cloak would be a great springboard into nature journals. Kids (and adults) will be inspired to start their own journals after reading and exploring this book. 

image from Amazon.com

Don't miss the back matter that could be a book by itself. 

Visit Melissa Stewart's website for more information and resources to deepen and extend the learning. 

I can't wait to add this book to my school library. 

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs by Melissa Stewart and Stephanie Laberis

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs 
by Melissa Stewart 
Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
Expected publication Sept. 1, 2018
Peachtree Publishers
Nonfiction
32 pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Puny? Poky? Clumsy? Shy? A lighthearted look at the surprising traits that help some animals survive.
Written with a lively, playful voice, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers introduces young readers to a variety of "animal underdogs" and explains how characteristics that might seem like weaknesses are critical for finding food and staying safe in an eat-or-be-eaten world.
Award-winning author Melissa Stewart offers readers a humorous and informative nonfiction picture book with a gentle message of understanding and celebrating differences. Stephanie Laberis's bright, bold--and scientifically accurate--illustrations add to the fun.

My Thoughts

Melissa Stewart has done it again! This nonfiction picture book is just wonderful. It is informative, interesting and witty. 
I learned a ton!
For example, did you know that sleeping a lot, is a survival behavior? Animals like koalas and armadillos need much less food because they are not as active. I also learned about a really stinky bird called a hoatzin who uses its stench to deter predators. 

Stewart effectively uses a variety of structures to present information. She often utilizes a question/answer structure to share information. I think students will find this format very appealing. 

The illustrations help to support the information. Stephanie Laberis has created critters that are animated, but seem real at the same time. They have a cuteness that will draw children in. 

I would definitely add this book to your nonfiction collection. I would recommend it most for ages 5-9

See what others have to say about this book:

Kirkus

Celebrate Science

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday-June 11, 2014

My Friend Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts a weekly link up to share Nonfiction Picture Books. Please visit her amazing website. 

Oh my word, it has been at least a month since I have posted and linked up a nonfiction picture book. Now that there is a week of school left, I am beginning to see a few streams of light at the end of the tunnel. 

Feathers: Not Just for Flying

by Melissa Stewart

Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen

Published 2014 by Charlesbridge

32 pages

Nonfiction Picture Book

Summary from Goodreads

Young naturalists meet sixteen birds in this elegant introduction to the many uses of feathers. A concise main text highlights how feathers are not just for flying. More curious readers are invited to explore informative sidebars, which underscore specific ways each bird uses its feathers for a variety of practical purposes. A scrapbook design showcases life-size feather illustrations.

My Thoughts

Melissa Stewart has written over 150 books for children! She is a nonfiction master who does her research. One thing about this nonfiction picture book that is different from many other animal books is that Melissa Stewart and Sarah Brannen show how each of the different types of feathers is similar to something children they can relate to. For example, "Feathers can shade out the sun like an umbrella" or "Feathers can soak up water like a sponge". Then the illustrations and information clarify the similarities. I feel this connection would be very engaging for young readers and help them understand birds when they see them in their natural habitats. Stewart has certainly done her research here and Brannen's illustrations are incredibly life-like.

Use this book...

as part of an animal unit.

to practice nonfiction reading.

to compare and contrast.

as a mentor text for using similes in writing.

Teachers, grab Melissa Stewart's Teacher's Guide for curriculum connections and activity ideas. She also has a video about how she used similes in this book. 

Her whole website is amazing. Click here to visit. 

Companion Texts

Click on the cover to learn more about these books.

 

Other Resources

Here is a video that takes a close look at feathers. 

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday-October 9, 2013

Please visit the host of this weekly nonfiction book event: Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy

No Monkeys, No Chocolate 

by Melissa Stewart and Allen Young

Illustrated by Nicole Wong

Charlesbridge Publishing

2013

32 Pages

Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book

Disclosure: Obtained from public library

Goodreads Summary

Most kids love chocolate, but few of them know that its main ingredient, the cocoa bean, comes from a tree that grows in the tropical rain forest. Dual-layer text describes the life cycle of the tree, emphasizing its botanical structures and highlighting the interdependence of the plants and animals such as the pollen-sucking midge, brain-eating coffin fly and aphid-munching anole lizard. Two wise-cracking bookworms offer commentary and humor in this fascinating depiction of microhabitat survival. 

My Thoughts

One thing I love about nonfiction picture books is the fact that they can convey information in an understandable and relatable way. With just the right amount of text and big, detailed pictures, kids will enjoy this book and learn a ton. The two "bookworms" are lots of fun. Kids will also appreciate the small amount of "grossness" that is included such as the brain-eating flies.  The information at the end of the book and the "What you can do to help" section offer more valuable information. 

Use this book......

in a unit on ecology or animals. 

as a mentor text for writing a "without this, then that" type of informational writing.

to model cause/effect.

to model think alouds for informational text. 

Resources

A teacher's guide from Melissa Stewart's website

Kids Do Ecology

ECO Kids

How it's made video-cocoa beans

How chocolate is made video