An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth
Feeling quite ordinary, a plain gray moth sadly compares itself to its more exotic kin, such as the Luna Moth, the Spider Moth, and the Hummingbird Moth. And the little moth feels even worse when a young girl sees it and says "Eww!" But things change when her brother explains that this particular type of moth is his favorite kind of insect. Maybe an ordinary moth is really extraordinary after all. Back matter includes fascinating moth facts, along with a special activity.
| Interest Level | Kindergarten - Grade 3 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 1 |
| Dewey | 595.78 |
| Lexile | 520L |
| ATOS Reading Level | |
| Guided Reading Level | K |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Sleeping Bear Press |
|---|---|
| Available Formats | Hardcover (9781585363728), PDF (9781534122925), Hosted ebook (9781534123090) |
| Copyright | 2018 |
| Number of Pages | 32 |
| Dimensions | 10 x 10 |
| Graphics | Full-color illustrations |
Booklist - An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth
A humble gray moth opens the story, comparing itself to more notable species. Not as large as the Atlas moth or as cool as the spider moth, it sees itself as ordinary. Meanwhile, a boy is delighted to discover the moth. His little sister reacts differently, calling it dusty and gray, but the boy explains that the moth’s “dusty” scales keep it warm and flake off to free it from spiderwebs, while its coloring provides camouflage. When their mother asks what they’ve found, the girl adopts her brother’s attitude, introducing the gray moth as “an insect—and our favorite kind.” Doneva creates some nice effects in the digital illustrations, though the simplified, almost cartoonlike portrayal of humans contrasts with the relatively naturalistic pictures of moths. The rhyming, rhythmic text reads aloud pretty well, with a nice shift in tone from the opening pages, to the children’s conversation, to the ending, in which even the moth realizes that it is extraordinary. An effective picture book for preschool science units.
An Extraordinary Oridnary Moth - Activity Pages
Activity Pages View →
Author: Karlin Gray
Karlin Gray is not a lepidopterist—a scientist who studies moths and butterflies. But when her son announced that the moth was his favorite insect, she decided to take a closer look at the little creature. When she did, she learned some extraordinary things and was inspired to write An Ordinary Moth. Karlin is also the author of Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still. She lives in Connecticut with her family. Visit her at www.KarlinGray.com.
Illustrator: Steliyana Doneva
Steliyana Doneva is a children’s book illustrator living in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her love of painting and drawing started in early childhood. Steliyana studied applied arts in Sofia, specializing in children’s toys. Then she graduated with a degree in graphic arts, where she found her love for children’s book illustration. Steliyana is very happy to be an illustrator for children’s books. By doing this she is immersed in a beautiful fairy-tale world where the soul can fly without restraint. She also illustrated An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth, written by Karlin Gray.
Narrator: Tamara Ryan
- Beginning of text
- Ten extraordinary facts about moths
- Activity
| Activities for further learning |
| Reviewed |
| Full-color illustrations |