This is a book for children aged 4-8 and deals with the subject of monarch butterfly metamorphosis. It is told from the point of view of Malinda Martha, who is imagining a play she wants to present to her class about the monarch butterfly. As she contemplates her project, she auditions various backyard creatures for parts in her play. Each act of the play is a stage in the development of the monarch. Malinda Martha is the star of the show, and she is on stage in various costumes. Small illustrations in the corner of the pages are realistic illustrations of the stages of the butterfly's metamorphosis. This book has some nice prose and some excellent illustrations.

There are vocabulary words in the back of the book. In addition, on the Images Press website other products to supplement this story are offered, such as a Monarch Enviro Pack, a Milkweed Planting Songs CD, and various activities in a downloadable PDF format. Also on the website is a free downloadable story coloring book called "Free as a Butterfly" about monarchs. It would make a perfect companion piece to these other resources. The paperback version of Malinda Martha Meets Mariposa, which was the one I received, is $7.95. I think this book, along with the activities provided on the website, would make a great supplement to any homeschooler's science program.

Product review by Christine Hindle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2010