Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly by Alan Madison
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Published in 2007
I was not quite sure what I was looking for when I went to Book People. I walked around the children’s section for quite awhile just picking up different books and reading them. I found some cute ones, but this one stood out to me. I loved the story line and the message it teaches. I think it is a cute story that kids could relate to. I believe this book would be best for 1st or 2nd grade.
Here is the beginning of the story:
Velma Gratch was the youngest of the three Gratch sisters. Frieda, the oldest, had gone through first grade first, followed by Fiona. Now it was Velma’s turn.
The chorus teacher remembered Frieda best because she had a voice like an angel. The gym teacher remembered Fiona best because she ran like the devil. And the first grade-teacher, Mr. Plexipuss, fondly remembered both sisters because of Frieda’s miraculous math and Fiona’s spectacular spelling. Everyone from the class guinea pig to the principal had magnificent memories of the older Gratch girls. But they could hardly even recall Velma’s name.
This made Velma feel as if she did not belong in the first grade at all. She wanted to curl up into a ball and roll right back into kindergarten. “Of course you belong,” cooed Velma’s mother, trying to cheer her up. “You’ve only just begun. Soon everybody will notice you.” Velma couldn’t wait. She needed to be noticed – now!
In chorus she sang loudest so that the teacher could hear her best. In gym she ran the slowest so that the teacher could see her best. And in class she refused to read and muddled her math. Mr. Plexipuss lamented that she was the first Gratch sister ever sent to the principal’s office. This brought a small smile to Velma’s lips.
“Littlest Gratch, why are you singing so loudly in chorus and running so slowly in gym?” inquired Principal Crossly. “Because,” answered Velma, “I want you to remember me just like you remember Frieda and Fiona.” The principal’s owlish eyes opened wide. “But my dear, those Gratches are remembered for good things.” Velma’s small smile pretzel-twisted into a full-blown frown.
Science was Velma’s favorite subject. She had learned many fabulous facts, like how a rainbow is born and why a volcano burps. The latest lesson was about butterflies. Mr. Plexipuss explained that a butterfly starts as an egg. The egg turns into a caterpillar. The caterpillar disappears into a chrysalis, which is a little sack, and does not come out until it has changed into a beautiful butterfly. He called this changing metamorphosis. Velma didn’t want to forget this extra-long word, so she repeated it again and again as she walked home. “Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis. Metamorphosis.”