Look under a bush and high in the sky but you can’t catch all of the butterflies in the world–but along your adventure, you may just find something even more important.

Can’t Catch a Butterfly is a sweet book, illustrated in the style of children’s crayon drawings. I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Zimmerman, author and publisher of Rainbow Star Books, at a local wildlife center fair. As a speech-language pathologist, Zimmerman has written a book filled with love and help for pre-readers and children with special needs.

Following the journey of a young child who catches butterflies in his net, Zimmerman’s book addresses spacial skills, color identification, counting, rhyming, and emotional intelligences.

The primitif, folk-art style and large book format lends a familiar and warm feel to the artwork, making this a very accessible and attractive book for even the youngest children.

As children follow the book’s protagonist, they’ll learn through the repetitive, rhyming descriptions. The book is simple enough for young preschoolers to memorize and engaging enough for even the most reluctant learners. Memorizing a favorite book provides a confidence boost for beginning readers and brings a comforting sense of routine to a child’s day.

Children will be so charmed by Can’t Catch a Butterfly, they may not even realize how much they are learning.

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WANT IT: Purchase signed copies of Can’t Catch a Butterfly ($17) through Rainbow Star Books or buy Can’t Catch a Butterfly at Amazon ($17).

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