Ask any adult what butterflies eat and you'll likely get a dreadful, horrid, scientific answer like nectar. Ask any child and you could get a boat load of answers, from bubblegum to spaghetti and italian meat balls.

Why is it that children think there is magic in everything? They believe beams of light shining onto the wall are fairies dancing, but adults just see the clock on the wall and think, "I'm late."

Life is all about your point of view. Even though two adults may be sitting on the same red, wooden bench, waiting for the same bus, they are both in two completely different worlds. One is a grumpy goose unable to see anything fun about waiting for a crowded bus, and the other is enjoying sitting outside, breathing the fresh air, and watching all of the interesting people heading home.

If we keep our childlike imagination, we are less bored. People passing can become a fun guessing game: What's their job? Do they have a boss who always wears the same brown suit? Do they own a bunny? Do they ride a unicycle? If you can imagine, you are never bored.

Imagination gives you new ideas. A hill can become a place to smile as you roll down away from pirates.

Imagination teaches us to dream. If you can't imagine it, you can't have it. Everything starts in your head! We have been lucky that we have been able to achieve everything we've imagined... the challenge is learning how to dream even bigger and bigger.

Imagination is important to Creative Voyagers, which is why we write about worms on bubblegum parachutes or butterflies dancing on octopuses. Imagination is one of the greatest gifts we can give our kids. After reading a book like Butterflies Don't Chew Bubblegum, a simple walk in the garden can be transformed into a world of bugs and animals that aren't afraid to be silly -- and let's face it, the world is simply more fun with imagination.

You can purchase Butterflies don't chew bubblegum at www.creativevoyagers.com

- Creative Voyagers