Butterflies and moths fascinate me. The whole insect life cycle is interesting, but not all insects morph into such intricate, delicate creatures. My children share my fascination. Last year, during our study of insects we bought some Painted Lady larvae to watch the whole cycle. Setting them free in our yard was a major event! We planted some butterfly bushes in our backyard in order to attract more each year. Whenever one flutters into our yard, the kids jump and follow it all over! We have several butterfly books and Hannah has learned several distinguishing marks of various butterflies. She can spot a swallowtail a mile away.

Couple this love for butterflies with the alphabet and you have an excellent book for a young child. When my MIL first explained it to me, I didn’t understand right away. “The alphabet on butterfly wings?” Yes. Hidden in each wing is a letter of our alphabet.

Sandved travelled around the world to collect pictures of each letter of the alphabet hidden in the wings of twenty-six different butterflies. He developed his own optical photography equipment to capture the detailed images. He explains, “I did not capture the butterflies in a net or kill them, but photographed them during the cooler morning or late afternoon hours when they are naturally less active.”

The Butterfly Garden further opened my eyes to God’s attention to details in all of His creation. Just as we humans are as varied as our fingerprints, no two butterflies are exactly alike. The photos in this book show the tiny, colored scales of each wing and their various shapes and sizes on each butterfly. Some look like fine embroidery or delicate feathers! It is truly amazing.

The kids have had a lot of fun with this book. Children easily see God’s handiwork and are particularly awed. One of my joys as a homeschooling mom is watching them encounter Him in His world. The beauty of butterflies is my favorite part, but the kids have fun trying to find each letter hidden in the wings. It is exciting and keeps them preoccupied. I have two children who are still learning their letters. This book helped make our alphabet/phonics lesson more fun and interesting. There’s nothing like cuddling up on the couch with a good book for “school.” I highly recommend this one.