Lady Flatterley

We spent the day at my mom's watching the Packers stomp all over the Bears. Molly's boyfriend, Jesse, is a huge Bears fan, so we all dressed up in our Packer gear, he wore his Bears jersey and cap, and we teased each other throughout the game while eating chips, dip, sausage, cheese, and brownies. All in all, a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Now on to Mia & Mommy's Book Blog!

Lady Flatterley by Linda Wagner is the story of a caterpillar named Lady Flatterley who lives her life in fear on a tree branch until she learns to trust God's plan for her. Mia's thoughts: I thought it was beautiful, and when she was a butterfly, I thought it was terrific! First there's a caterpillar, then a cocoon, then a butterfly. My favorite picture was when she was first coming out of her cocoon. At first she was hiding in the leaves, but then a butterfly came and told her that she would be a butterfly too, but she had to go into a cocoon first. So Lady Flatterley wrapped herself up in a cocoon, and then she had to learn how to get out of it herself because that's what God wanted her to do. She asked for help two times, but she had to do it herself. My thoughts: The story is told in charming rhyming couplets, and the artwork, while simplistic, has hidden depth. You can look at the illustrations again and again and keep finding hidden animals and flowers. The story itself, while a good one, is just a little too subtle for younger readers. I had to explain to Mia the subtext that sometimes we have to go experience hard times in order to grow and change as people. Wagner's other messages about trusting God and the beauty of creation come through loud and clear. It was only in trusting God that Lady Flatterley could become something more than a scared little caterpillar, and when she's become a butterfly, she takes the time to praise God for her transformation and the beauty of the world.

Tomorrow I'm starting a new book contest, just in time for the holidays!