When the Butterfly Met the Ladybug is a short story about an unlikely friendship between a butterfly and a ladybug. As the characters in this story develop, their unique friendship is envied by the other bugs in the gardens but does not hinder the two from the instant and wonderful bond that they form. In this book, Ms. Butterfly shares stories with the little ladybug, and the ladybug learns new things. As this story unfolds, the seasons change and the time between the two characters grows shorter. The ladybug learns quickly to accept the memories with the butterfly as lessons. The colors used are symbolic of the change in the season and mood represented with playful colors for the spring and summer, shifting into calm and cooling colors for the season's end.
As the author and illustrator of Manage Your Emotions Before They Manage You, I decided with this project to share a little more of myself in the tale of change, relationships, love, and loss. This concept was inspired by the relationship between two loving spirits, my daughter and my grandmother. In hopes that this piece will help families grapple with uncomfortable conversations regarding life cycles. Leaving an open ending where we as adults are able to fill in the blanks for our little ones as we see fit.
A Chicago native, parent and educator for many years, K.S.Collier considers her commitment to storytelling inherited. Coming from a long line of griots, family tradition at gatherings was to recall family history while flipping through the photo album. As a high school teacher for 16 years, this tradition continued to be an incentive for her to share lessons utilizing the same methods. These methods have proven to have an effective approach in cultivating the minds of youth from all walks of life. Currently a Professional School Counselor, her storytelling became more common practice in developing a rapport with elementary scholars.The characters and concepts of this piece were developed to share a short story about a loving family relationship between a great grandmother (Ms. Butterfly) and great granddaughter (Ladybug). This story can be viewed as a story about the family we have, the family we choose, seasons changing, enjoying life or accepting difficult things that accompany change.Hopefully, this short tale will present parents with conversation starters to navigate sensitive topics.
