On an outing to the park, Elinor, Ari and Olive can't decide whether they should watch butterflies (Ari's favorite) or caterpillars (Olive's favorite). This makes Elinor wonder: Why has she never seen a baby butterfly? They should try finding some in the park! When they search, however, the butterflies they observe fluttering around the plants and flowers are all grown-ups - no babies. But then, they spot a cocoon and as they watch, something unusual happens! If they pay close attention and do a bit of deducing, will they be able to solve the mystery of the missing baby butterflies? (And discover how Olive's and Ari's favorite animals are connected?)

Butterflies and their metamorphosis are perennially popular topics for young children just learning how life cycles work. Beginning with the idea of a baby butterfly provides a fresh approach to the subject. As with the other titles in this series - based on the daytime Emmy-nominated PBS KIDS TV show Elinor Wonders Why created by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson - Elinor and her friends follow their curiosity and work together to solve a science mystery, learning new things and having fun doing it. Material supporting the topic includes more facts about metamorphosis, a key vocabulary word, and a simple activity. This title has excellent life science curriculum connections to insects, characteristics of living things and habitats.