Celebrate Valentine's Day and Healthy Smiles: “Butterflies, Bears, and Other Poems for Children” by Patricia Herber Inspires Young Readers

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February is a month to celebrate love, friendship, and healthy habits, and Patricia Herber's “Butterflies, Bears, and Other Poems for Children” offers a fun and educational way to engage young readers. With playful rhymes, gentle rhythms, and heartwarming imagery, this children's poetry book supports early literacy, emotional awareness, and health education, making it perfect for classrooms, libraries, and family reading time.

Valentine Fun for Early Readers
The collection features charming poems for Valentine's Day, including the delightful “Secret Valentine,” which encourages children to explore emotions, express kindness, and enjoy reading aloud—perfect for storytime, reading corners, or classroom activities.

Promoting Healthy Habits with Poetry
February also highlights National Children's Dental Health Month. The book includes a playful dental-care poem, Teeth, that encourages children to brush, floss, and visit the dentist while enjoying memorable rhymes:

“Did you ever stop to wonder Why people have teeth?

They help you talk, help you smile, And especially help you eat…”

By blending literacy and health education, Patricia Herber's poetry makes learning about dental hygiene fun and engaging for young readers.

Themes That Inspire Young Minds
“Butterflies, Bears, and Other Poems for Children” supports:


  • Early Literacy: Developing phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and rhythm
  • Emotional Awareness: Helping children understand and express feelings
  • Healthy Habits: Teaching dental care through playful poetry
  • Friendship and Community: Celebrating kindness, caring, and connection


These themes make the book an excellent resource for teachers, librarians, school nurses, health educators, and caregivers seeking creative ways to combine learning, health, and seasonal celebrations.

Perfect for Classrooms, Libraries, and Families
This poetry collection is ideal for:


  • Early readers and elementary students
  • Valentine-themed storytimes and reading activities
  • Morning announcements or reading corners promoting health and friendship
  • Parents and caregivers looking for fun, educational reading experiences


By combining playful storytelling, heartwarming themes, and meaningful lessons, Patricia Herber's poetry fosters literacy, creativity, and emotional intelligence in children, all while promoting healthy habits.

Celebrate February with Poetry, Love, and Healthy Smiles
Make this February a month of reading, imagination, and wellness. Discover “Butterflies, Bears, and Other Poems for Children” and share the joy of poetry, kindness, and dental care with the special children in your life.

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About the Author

When Patricia Herber was growing up as the middle child in a family of eight children, her childhood memories included Mother Goose Rhymes, which were popular at that time, and they merrily jumped rope to chants that rhymed. Fast forward to the present day, and she is now the author of a rhyming poetry book for children.

She is extremely delighted to share her engaging collection of rhyming poems and amusing illustrations with children and adults alike. All of her poems were inspired by activities she did and topics she taught in her first-grade classroom over the years. These poems come from her heart, and she feels they need to be shared so that children everywhere can experience fun while learning how to read through the use of rhymes. Girls and boys are in for a delightful educational reading adventure when they pick up her book, “Butterflies, Bears, and Other Poems for Children.” They will learn meaningful and interesting facts as they look at the colorful, cute, and funny illustrations. They will find out how the teddy bear got its name and how to remember the colors of a rainbow. They will learn what a “chrysalis” is and what happens when the groundhog sees its shadow. They will read about Johnny Appleseed, who was actually a real person who planted apple seeds all across America. They will discover the names of animal babies and read about T-Rex and other dinosaurs. They will learn about fire safety and dental health, become friends with a fireman, color Easter eggs, and build their own snowy day friend. They will visit a farm and a circus, go to a Halloween party, and read about many other holidays. There are so many fun things to see and read about in her book.

She wrote her poems in rhyme because, sadly, she has noticed that over the years, Mother Goose Rhymes are no longer being read to young children as they once were, and some children have no idea what rhymes are. She firmly believes that the concept of rhyming is one important skill, among many, that can help a child increase his or her vocabulary from one word to eight words, just like that. She wanted her book to be an alternative for children to watching TV and sitting in front of a computer screen playing games all day. Her poems will provide an excellent opportunity for quality bonding between parent or grandparent and child that is so vital in today's society. Children are the winners here when they have access to her book.

She called her book “Butterflies, Bears, and Other Poems for Children” because she happens to like both butterflies and bears. She truly enjoys when monarchs and swallowtails feed on her butterfly bush during the summer months. They are such beautiful creatures. She especially gets emotional when one of them happens to sit on her hand or shoulder, as she believes this is a sign that a loved one she misses from Heaven is visiting her. Also, every September in her first-grade classroom, they observed caterpillars hatching from eggs on milkweed leaves. Then they watched them form a chrysalis and finally change into monarch butterflies. Later, they released them and said goodbye as they flew away. She has written a poem called “Monarch Queen” in her book. As for the bears, she loves real bear cubs because they are so cute and comical to watch. She also collects all kinds of teddy bears as a hobby. Seeing some amusing bear cubs while on vacation in South Dakota gave her the inspiration for the title of her book. She has included poems called “Bear Cubs” and “Teddy Bears” on the first two pages of her book.

Some more about Patricia Herber: She earned a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Shippensburg University and a master's degree from Penn State University. She is a retired first-grade teacher, having worked in the Pine Grove Area School District. She resides in Pine Grove, PA, with her husband, Larry. They have two grown children as well as five grandchildren, for whom she has dedicated her book. Since retiring, she has been traveling, reading, going to school sporting events, babysitting, and following her blessed grandchildren's activities. It is her hope to nurture in her grandchildren a joy of reading that will last a lifetime. She is especially delighted to share her engaging collection of rhyming poems and amusing illustrations with children and adults alike.

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