Elinor Wonders Why: The Search for Baby Butterflies

Elinor and her friends investigate why they’ve never seen a baby butterfly, in this third picture book based on the popular TV series.

On an outing to the park, Elinor, Ari and Olive can’t decide whether they should watch butterflies (Ari’s favorite) or caterpillars (Olive’s favorite). This makes Elinor wonder: Why has she never seen a baby butterfly? They should try finding some in the park! When they search, however, the butterflies they observe fluttering around the plants and flowers are all grown-ups - no babies. But then, they spot a cocoon and as they watch, something unusual happens! If they pay close attention and do a bit of deducing, will they be able to solve the mystery of the missing baby butterflies? (And discover how Olive’s and Ari’s favorite animals are connected?)

Butterflies and their metamorphosis are perennially popular topics for young children just learning how life cycles work. Beginning with the idea of a baby butterfly provides a fresh approach to the subject. As with the other titles in this series - based on the daytime Emmy-nominated PBS KIDS TV show Elinor Wonders Why created by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson - Elinor and her friends follow their curiosity and work together to solve a science mystery, learning new things and having fun doing it. Material supporting the topic includes more facts about metamorphosis, a key vocabulary word, and a simple activity. This title has excellent life science curriculum connections to insects, characteristics of living things and habitats.

Jorge Cham is an engineer-turned-cartoonist, writer and producer. He is the creator of the web comic strip Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD Comics), which he started as a graduate student at Stanford University. Together with Daniel Whiteson, Jorge created and produces the PBS KIDS series Elinor Wonders Why. Jorge and Daniel have also co-written two books for adults, We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe and Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe, and they host the podcast Jorge and Daniel Explain the Universe on iHeartRadio. Jorge’s debut middle-grade series, Oliver and the Great Big Universe, is forthcoming from Abrams. Jorge lives in California.

Daniel Whiteson is a professor of physics at the University of California, Irvine. Together with Jorge Cham, Daniel created and produces the PBS KIDS series Elinor Wonders Why. Daniel and Jorge have also co-written two books for adults, We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe and Frequently Asked Questions About the Universe, and they host the podcast Jorge and Daniel Explain the Universe on iHeartRadio. Daniel lives in California.