Loretta's Pet Caterpillar
It was May and monarch butterflies had come to the Colorado mountains. The milkweed field outside Loretta’s window shimmered orange and silver with butterfly wings. She smiled.
In the morning, Loretta opened her curtains to see the butterflies again. Everything was green as far as she could see. The butterflies were gone!
Quickly, she dressed and ran to the milkweed field. She looked along the ground. She searched the sky. The butterflies had vanished. She turned over a leaf. On the back, Loretta found a tiny cream-colored egg as small as a pinhead.
Follow Loretta as she protects her caterpillar from predators while it grows, molts its skin, and changes into a butterfly.
Bees in Loretta's Bonnet
When Loretta dropped her armload of firewood on the hearth, a mysterious tube fell from between the logs. It was a leafcutter bee nest. Loretta took it back out to the woodpile and watched as holes appeared. But where were the bees?
She found more holes appearing in leaves on her rose bushes. And even some of the rose petals. But where were the bees?
Leafcutter bees are more efficient than honey bees for pollinating gardens. The book includes instructions for building a nest that may lure wild bees to your yard.
"Lois J. Wickstrom’s Bees in Loretta's Bonnet (Loretta's Insects) is a delightful story about a very inquisitive little girl, one who actually likes and is fascinated by insects. The story is educational, but also entertaining. Super illustrations." Reader's Favorite
Ladybugs for Loretta
Loretta is a mischievous girl who lives in a cabin high up in the Colorado mountains. She loves her garden and the ladybugs that protect it. But where do they go in the winter?
On a cold winter day when she was collecting pine needles for her strawberry patch, she discovered ladybugs hiding under a rock. There were even more behind a chunk of loose tree bark.
Through a loving relationship with her parents and her garden, Loretta learns about the life cycle of ladybugs.
A Colorado Girl Who Loves Ladybugs
Reviews
It's a true treasure for anyone who is enthusiastic about ladybugs. -- Jennifer L. B. Leese
Ladybugs for Loretta is a winning combination of entertaining story and accessible science lesson. -- Haemi Balgassi
Ladybugs for Loretta is an educational tool as well as an entertaining story. -- Shelby Cavender- 7 years old