Caterpillar Days & Rose Petal Nights

About the Book

Caterpillar Days and Rose Petal Nights, L.L. Matthews’ fanciful story of Monnie the Caterpillar, and his incredible journey into a stunning Monarch butterfly will inspire you.

It is the story of metamorphosis and Monnie’s belief in himself to become the best he can be.

As a Caterpillar, Monnie’s many feet take him through the tall grass to a beautiful place where he visits and talks with his friends, the roses and dandelions, and takes naps cushioned in the arms of a beautiful and rare lady slipper.

At night his friend Mr. Cricket lulls him to sleep under the starry skies. Monnie loves to look at Constellations, a group of stars together.

Even though Monnie is so small, the size of your baby finger, his many feet allow him to crawl on top of the flowers to watch the birds as they soar in the sky, higher and higher, even over the treetops.

Monnie understands that although being a caterpillar is exciting and wonderful, there are so many things he cannot see or experience. 

He began to think he would have to change the way he sees the world and the way the world sees him.

Monnie wondered about lots of things….

What do the birds see?

Was the sky squishy?

What is it like to touch the moon and was it made of green cheese?

He researched and studied and developed a plan, a big plan!  This was going to be hard work and scary at times, but he knew in his heart all would be fine.

He spun and spun and made a fine cocoon out of leaves and silk threads and waited patiently, and waited and waited, until one day his shell just disappeared.  

Monnie had done it!  His plan worked! 

He had become a Monarch butterfly. He began soaring with the birds, touching the sky and looking at the moon.

It was a magnificent transformation. He could still visit the flowers and Mr. Cricket, but now tells them the tales from the tall trees and tops of all the flowers and just everything.

Monnie comes alive in Matthews’ book. Monnie’s story will captivate you and win your heart.

About the Author

Linda L. Matthews Linda Matthews is a registered nurse and attorney who is a lifetime resident of Massachusetts. Her love for writing began thirty years ago when she became fascinated with poetry and began a life-long journey of writing. In this book Caterpillar Days and Rose Petal Nights, two talented illustrators, David Grotrian and Melissa Mack help bring to life her dream of Monnie… …Monnie the wonderful caterpillar to life, as he grows to become the best he can be… …a beautiful monarch butterfly. David Grotrian David Grotrian is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Among his previous jobs, he served for 4 years as the editorial illustrator for the TAB Community Newspaper group, based in the Boston area. Melissa Mack Melissa Mack is an Art Educator and Illustrator from Morrisville, Pa. She is the Art and Graphic Design coordinator at The Cambridge School in Pennington, N.J. Melissa is a 2010 Robert Rauschenberg Power of Art recipient in which she was honored for her innovative ideas as an art educator. Melissa studied visual arts at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Throughout her life, Melissa has had a love for art, design and education.