"The butterfly landed ...
and years sped by.
The comet blazed ...
and a king was born."
The story begins with the 'big bang' and the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. Over time, plants were blown to the islands, providing a home for insects that included the Kamehameha Butterfly. Found only in Hawai'i, the butterfly became part of the collective history of the islands.
The authors move the story forward to 2009, when school students decided it should be made the official state insect. They had a real concern; the number of butterflies was decreasing. By making it the state's insect, there was a chance to benefit from its presence and its value to Hawai'i.
"Animals and insects that had been brought
to the islands from other places were destroying
them. There weren't as many of the plants the
butterflies needed to live as there used to be."
It was enough to get many involved in a project with scientists to find where the butterflies could be found, and to gather critical information about them. Citizen scientists spent time searching for and learning about the butterfly and its life cycle, while the project's scientists were breeding new ones in an insect lab. By 2017, all the students had hoped for had happened. Ninety-four butterflies were released on O'ahu, while thousands of other releases followed. The work continues today.
The text is presented on two levels; one tells a poetic story, and paragraphs at the bottom of each spread add more details. An afterword provides further important information, and is accompanied by clear, colorful photographs. The collages are textured, colorful and distinctive.
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