Create a cover for your butterfly life cycle book by choosing a piece of colored construction paper. Fold the construction paper in half so it resembles a card or book. Lay the folded paper on the table with the crease to your left. Write an appropriate title such as "The Four Stages of a Butterfly's Life" across the front cover in pencil.
Add color to the title by writing over the penciled title with marker or crayons. Draw appropriate illustrations on the cover with pencil such as a caterpillar or a butterfly and color the illustrations in with marker or crayons. Cover art may also be added by cutting a butterfly out of construction paper with scissors and gluing it to the cover instead of drawing. Add the author's name to the cover in marker.
Fold the three pieces of blank white paper in half and slide them into the book cover, lining up the creased edge of the papers with the inside crease of the cover. Close the book. Attach the white pages to the cover of the book by placing a staple 1/4 inch from the creased edge and about 1 inch from the top edge with the stapler. Align the staple parallel to the creased edge. Place another staple 1/4 inch from the creased edge and about halfway down from the top edge, parallel to the creased edge. Place a third staple 1/4 inch from the creased edge and about 1 inch from the bottom edge, parallel to the creased edge.
Open the book cover, exposing the first white page. Only half of the page will be showing. Write the title of the book and the author's name on this title page with marker.
Turn to the next page of the book. On the bottom left-hand corner of the left page, write a small number "2" with pen. On the bottom right-hand corner of the right page, write a small number "3" with pen. Continue numbering the pages until you reach the back cover. Do not number the back cover.
Open to pages two and three. Draw an illustration about the first stage of a butterfly's life: the egg. The illustration should include the egg and the leaf on which the egg sits. The picture may also include the butterfly that laid the egg. Color the picture with marker or crayons. Add information about the egg stage in pen, using neat handwriting and complete sentences. The illustration and the information should fill both page two and page three.
Open to pages four and five. Draw an illustration about the second stage of a butterfly's life: the larva or caterpillar. The illustration should include a caterpillar and a leaf with holes in it, showing how much and what a caterpillar eats. The picture may also include the caterpillar growing from a small hatchling to a large, plump caterpillar. Color the picture with marker or crayons. Add information about the larval stage in pen, using neat handwriting and complete sentences. The illustration and the information should fill both page four and page five.
Open to pages six and seven. Draw an illustration about the third stage of a butterfly's life: the pupa or chrysalis. The illustration should include a chrysalis and what it is attached to. Color the picture with marker or crayons. Add information about the pupal stage in pen, using neat handwriting and complete sentences. The illustration and the information should fill both page six and page seven.
Open to pages eight and nine. Draw an illustration about the final stage of a butterfly's life: the butterfly. The illustration should include the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis. Color the picture with marker or crayons. Add information about metamorphosis and this final stage in pen, using neat handwriting and complete sentences. The illustration and the information should fill both page eight and page nine.
Open to pages 10 and 11. Draw an illustration of a butterfly laying an egg on a leaf, explaining how the cycle starts all over again. The illustration and the information should fill both page 10 and page 11.
Open to page 12. You will be looking at page 12 on the left and the back cover on the right. Write "The End" in the middle of page 12 neatly in pen.