“Who knew butterflies had hairy eyeballs?”, says nature writer and Westbury Mayor Jane Russ. Her eighth book, The Butterfly Book has just been published and the research she did when writing it was a complete eye-opener.
“Butterflies are such amazing creatures, starting with the metamorphosis from a larva/caterpillar, (which is basically an eating machine!) through the pupa/chrysalis stage hanging below a stick or leaf, during which the whole caterpillar breaks down into goo and the cells reforms inside the chrysalis into an adult butterfly: it is the insect for which the term ‘awesome’ was invented,” she said.
Jane has been working with the publishers Graffeg since she wrote the first book in The UK Nature Series, The Hare Book, in 2014. “I also edit the books that I don’t actually write and The Butterfly Book is number 16 in the whole series. I am currently working on The Bat Book, which should be out in October, in time for Halloween.
“Whilst the books are not meant for children,” continues Jane, “lots of children do really enjoy them. They are meant for interested adults who want a thoroughly well researched and stunningly illustrated starting point on each animal, bird or insect. Right from The Hare Book, I have always included chapters on the animal/bird/insect in Myth and Legend and also in Art and Literature both in the UK and around the world.”
To find out about the hairy eyeballs of butterflies, the book is available to order in all good bookshops and from the Graffeg website www.graffeg.com
