Skip to content

About

A story written to make children feel seen

Cathy The Caterpillar was created for every child who has ever been laughed at, left out or asked to be someone they are not.

The Book

Gentle words, brave feelings

Cover of the children's book Cathy The Caterpillar

Cathy is a small green caterpillar living in a bright and busy meadow. She loves her home until other creatures begin to comment on how she looks and how slowly she moves. Their words follow her everywhere, and she starts to shrink into herself.

What follows is a quiet and hopeful journey. Cathy learns to notice her own courage, to choose her own path instead of following the crowd, and to understand that being different is exactly what makes her wonderful.

Twenty eight illustrated pages, written for ages 5 to 12, with coloring pages so children can stay inside the story a little longer.

Buy on Amazon

Our Mission

Turning hard feelings into gentle confidence

This book exists so families and classrooms have a soft place to start conversations about teasing, peer pressure and belonging.

  • Kindness First

    Every page shows children that gentle choices carry real strength.

  • Self Worth

    Children learn that their value never depends on someone else's opinion.

  • Honest Feelings

    Sadness and worry are welcomed, named and then gently comforted.

  • Wonder For Nature

    The meadow invites curiosity about the living world outside.

The Author

Lynnal Brookshaw Jr.

Illustration of a caterpillar watching the sunrise from a branch

Lynnal Brookshaw Jr. is a children's author who writes stories about the quiet courage of growing up. He believes a good picture book can hand a child the words they were missing.

Cathy The Caterpillar grew out of his wish to give young readers a character who feels small and unsure, and who still finds a way to stand tall. His writing keeps sentences short and warm so children can read them aloud with pride.

He works closely with illustrators to make sure every emotion on the page matches the feeling in the words, and he loves hearing from families who read the story together.

Timeline

How Cathy came to life

From a single worry shared at a kitchen table to a published storybook.

  1. The Idea

    A conversation about teasing at school became the seed of Cathy's story.

  2. The Writing

    Lynnal shaped short warm sentences that young readers could carry on their own.

  3. The Illustrations

    Faiza Farooq brought the meadow to life with soft greens, gold light and expressive eyes.

  4. The Coloring Pages

    Line art was added so children could join in and make Cathy their own.

  5. Published

    Cathy The Caterpillar arrived on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions.