Hope for the Flowers

This week Sarah was reminded about the importance of hope and courage when she picked up an old favourite book called Hope For the Flowers by Trina Paulus. The front cover reads: ‘a tale – partly about life, partly about revolution and lots about hope for adults and others (including caterpillars who can read)’.

It’s been a grey week in London, the skies have been grey and I confess to feeling slightly grey myself this week! I was conscious that I needed to take small actions to shift my mood and one thing I did was to read Hope for the Flowers again. It’s a short and very beautifully illustrated book that follows the journey of two caterpillars and their transformation into butterflies. It begins ‘Once upon a time…..’ and immediately I am transported into the world of Stripe and Yellow (the two caterpillars). It’s a very simple book with some very big messages that I find I need to remember.

Here are some of my favourite bits…..
“It can’t be true!” gasped Yellow. “How can I believe there’s a butterfly inside you or me when all I see is a fuzzy worm?”

“How could she risk the only life she knew when it seemed so unlikely she could ever be a glorious winged creature? What did she have to go on?
- seeing another caterpillar who believed enough to make his own cocoon
- and that peculiar hope which had kept her off the pillar and leapt within her when she heard about butterflies”