Product Description

Hope's theme of life, moving through seeming death to a new and more beautiful life, has touched the hearts of millions of people. Hope for the Flowers is for young and old, lovers, husbands and wives. It's a book to learn to read with, or to comfort those who are dying or grieving. In the tale, the caterpillar heroes, Stripe and Yellow, want something more from life than eating and growing bigger. They get caught up in a "caterpillar pillar," a squirming mass of bodies, each determined to reach a top so far away it can't be seen. Finally disillusioned, they discover that the way for the caterpillars to find their particular "more," who they really are, is to enter the cocoon and "...risk for the butterfly." Hope for the Flowers has helped people gain the courage to leave jobs, change their lives and explore their love for another human being. Two million copies in print.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #76650 in Books
• Published on: 1973-05
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 UpAThe ageless, timeless story of caterpillars, Strip and Yellow, unfolds as the author, Trina Paulus, reads it with as much enthusiasm as she had when it was originally published 25 years ago. It is a very simple story of life, death, goals, alternatives, anxiety, hope, and becoming which can be used by students on many levels, with each person gleaning an appropriate moral. Paulus' speech is gentle, and her belief in the story is shown in her very expressive voice. She enunciates very clearly, has good pacing, and changes tone and speech for the different characters. Short, pleasant musical interludes provide appropriate breaks between each chapter and set the mood for upcoming events. On Side 2 Paulus discusses the background for the story from the events in her life and the importance of various symbols used in the plot. Purchase for anyone who has challenges to overcomeAthis story could have as much of an audience as Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Woman's Day
A wonderful new myth book.

Coretta Scott King
I read it with deep appreciation for its message and for Trina Paulus' skill in communicating in words and pictures.

Customer Reviews

The Butterfly Book
I received a copy of this beautiful book from my best friend in 1975 as I flew off to join the service. All these years later, I still have my copy and have given out innumerable others to my teenage at-risk students, clients and other people I have encountered. It is a heartwarming tale filled with a huge amount of hope for the future. I especially like to present it to students who have just gone through a devastating relationship breakup, reminding them that it is all part of the process which is preparing them to meet their future life partner.

Hope for the Flowers
I purchased this book for seven very special young girls who graduated high school and are heading off to college in the fall. The book is a children's story for all ages and gives an excellent message about life in that it encourages one to seek self established goals and achieve them while still maintaining a degree of intergity and self worth.

A book for all ages
I was introduced to this book in a class provided by the company I work for. The class was entitled "Thinking Outside the Box". This class has been attended by executives and managers at large corporations the world over. I'm sure no one in the class expected the last activity to be reading "Hope for the Flowers" aloud. Although this is a "children's" book, it can be appreciated at many levels. I'm sure children will find it very entertaining and moving. However, the specific message relevant to adults is that "following the crowd" in the corporate world can be an empty pursuit, and that we all need to recognize the possibility of reaching for higher goals. The story is engaging, with two charming caterpillars as the main characters, and the beautiful illustrations of them and their exploits are very imaginative. We should all aspire to be butterflies!