Moth & Butterfly Ta-Da! by Dev Petty, illustrated by Ana Aranda

This colorful and cheerful story celebrates friendship as well as pointing out the differences between butterflies and moths. Two colorful caterpillars share a leaf in the garden. They have bright purple, green, and pink markings and they are best friends. They dance, chomp leaves, and celebrate together. When they are ready to change, a purple butterfly zips by, wishing them a happy metamorphosis.

When they emerge, Butterfly is golden and pink, while Moth is beige and blue. When they try to fly together though, it doesn’t work very well. However, some things are still the same. They are still best friends, they still love to make fancy shapes, and they are excited to see new caterpillars getting ready for something exciting! A note at the back explains some of the differences between moths and butterflies.

Dev Petty is a British author and created the popular series about Frog, who doesn’t want to grow, hibernate, etc., as well as the brilliant Claymates. For this book, she has paired up with Ana Aranda, a Mexican-American illustrator, whose bright colors and cheerful cartoons are a sweet combination with Petty’s simple but happy words.

This is not an informational picture book, although readers can note the differences between moths and butterflies, but it’s a good book to build social-emotional skills and help children appreciate and celebrate their differences as well as weathering changes with their family and friends.

Verdict: This sweet picture book is sure to be a popular storytime and classroom pick. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781524740511; Published June 2021 by Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin; Purchased for the library; Review copy provided by publisher