Little Monarchs
Family Read 2024
Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case is an outdoor adventure graphic novel that introduces readers to nature, nature journaling and drawing, navigation, and survival skills. Scroll down to find fun activities, links, and writing prompts to help you think, talk, and learn about the book at home or at school.
Little Monarchs is set in the future. It’s been 50 years since humans have had to live underground during the day to avoid the sun and nature is taking over again. Only 10-year-old Elvie and Flora, a biologist, can tolerate the sunlight, thanks to an antidote Flora made that relies on the scales of monarch butterfly wings. So Elvie and Flora follow the monarchs as they migrate, on a path you can follow too using coordinates in the book. See what they see, and learn survival skills through the pages of Elvie’s journal. As they travel, they make the vaccine for themselves and try to find a way to make larger quantities they hope to share with others. Will they succeed?
When you read aloud as a family or share thoughts about what you’re reading, it opens up the opportunity for many conversations around themes in books. We hope you enjoy the book and accompanying events that kick off on March 9, 2pm and conclude with an Earth Day event on April 20, 2pm.
LEARN BEFORE YOU READ
HEAR FROM THE AUTHOR
Watch a Q&A with Jonathan Case about the book.
NATURE JOURNALING
In Little Monarchs, you see pages from Elvie’s journal. At our kickoff for this year’s Family Read, you can make your own nature journal and get tips for drawing, observing, and writing that will help you fill it. Or use the links below to start a journal at home.
Show us what you discover in nature this spring. Stop by a youth desk and show staff your journal or email a photo to [email protected]. You’ll be entered into a drawing to win a Little Monarchs Adventure Satchel!
Tips from John Muir Laws
YpsiWrites: Nature Writing
Doodle Academy: Artist Explorer
At our kickoff event, go on a mindful nature hike with naturalist Shawn Severance from Washtenaw County Parks to learn how to look and listen for entries to add to your journal. Learn to draw and label natural objects with Doodles Academy. Write with YpsiWrites.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Use the Holiday House Reading guide to talk at home or in the classroom about themes in the book.
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER POLLINATORS
We need pollinators like butterflies, bees, birds, and small mammals to move pollen from plant to plant to fertilize the plant so it can make fruit and seeds that we eat. To help pollinators, we need to provide them the right flowers, avoid pesticides, and help them find places to nest.
Learn more about monarchs and other pollinators by clicking the links below.
Xerces Society
Learn more about protecting pollinators from Xerces Society, a resource Jonathan Case used when writing Little Monarchs.
Did you know that the City of Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township are both Bee City USA affiliates? Bee CIty USA is a Xerces Society initiative!
At our closing event on April 20, 2pm, take home Common Milkweed Seed perfect for Southeast Michigan from Washtenaw County Conservation District.
Four Steps to Helping Pollinators
ACTIVITIES AT THE LIBRARY OR AT HOME
SURVIVAL SKILLS
Knot Tying
Elvie and Flora are on their own as the only people who have the ability to stay in the sun during the day, thanks to Flora’s sun sickness serum. Elvie’s backpack has many survival supplies–field guides, first aid kit, toilet paper, a hammock and knife. And she has to know how to tie knots to hoist boxes, navigate, survive in a many types of environments, from mountains and ocean shores to the desert.
Navigation
Did you notice the compass coordinates on the pages of the book? You can track them online to see the exact path Elvie and Flora take to follow the monarchs using your phone or a computer. Learn to find your own coordinates using Google maps and note your location in your journal, too.
Click the links below for library events where you can learn about navigating with a compass or the night sky.
Water Filters
Join students from UM’s Graham Sustainability Institute to learn about the water cycle and water quality, and make a water filter to take home.
MORE FUN FROM THE BOOK
Over Spring Break, make mini blackberry pies from scratch and join SCRAP Creative Reuse to repurpose materials into your own sparkly bottle of sun sickness serum.
NATURE ART
In addition to survival supplies, Elvie carries art supplies in her backpack including watercolors, pens, and ink. Learn to draw with Doodles Academy to improve your journal entries, and go on a nature walk to gather natural materials for an art project.
Nature Journals: March 9, 2-4pm, YDL-Whittaker
Nature Prints: April 6, 11am-12:30pm, YDL-Superior
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS
Learn about greenhouse gases and how to address global warming with the Southeast Michigan Stewardship Coalition through games and hands-on activities. Join Doodles Academy to scientifically draw endangered animal figurines from observation. Then use facts about the animals’ habitat and the impacts of climate change to create two backgrounds for their drawing: now and the future to create an agamograph, a visual artwork/optical illusion that presents two different habitat scenarios based on the angle of view.
Creative Conservationists: March 27, 12-1:30pm, YDL-Whittaker
Learn about Greenhouse Gases: April 20, 2-3:30pm, YDL-Whittaker
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Do you want to chat with others about what you read? Drop into the Graphic Novel Book Club any Tuesday at 5pm, YDL-Whittaker. Hear the book and do activities. Free copies of the book for attendees while supplies last!
Or make your own graphic novel. Get tips from comic artist Kam Reynolds at the library on March 18, 5pm, YDL-Whittaker, and use resources below from our friends at 826michigan!
MAKE YOUR OWN GRAPHIC STORY
Comic creators always think about how words and images work together on the page to tell a story. Use the templates in your supply kit and tips from 826michigan’s Comic Creators’ Guide to get started.
FORM
Notice the frame, gutters and panels.
WORDS
Notice how comic creators use words in speech bubbles, thought clouds, captions and special lettering effects.
COLOR & WEIGHT
Notice how contrast, patterns, and colors are used on the page to catch your eye and tell the story.
CAPTURING IMAGES
Notice how hands, feet, and faces help tell the story.