Before you view the monarch butterflies at Pismo Beach, find out about the life cycle of the monarch and migration in fall and spring, plus activities to do – raise a monarch butterfly, grow milkweed, make mobiles, T-shirts and puppets. (Activity book)

In spring, the milkweed plant unfurls its leaves, where the monarch butterfly lays its eggs. The eggs hatch, caterpillars eat the leaves, transforming into a green and gold chrysalis, until one morning, a new butterfly emerges, "opens her wings, closes them, open them wide – a light breeze lifts her and she flies." Exquisitely illustrated! (Picture book)