The Story of Fox & Butterfly

Where It All Began

The inspiration for Fox & Butterfly goes back to the spring of 2007 in California’s Santa Ana Mountains, when wildflowers blanketed the landscape and butterflies danced everywhere. My daughter’s uncle Jason, who was hiking with us, would exclaim, “Butterfly ballet” each time we startled them from the flowers.

Sadly, Jason passed away just a few months later. Those two little words stayed with me—as did the memory of that beautiful spring day, which blossomed into this story.

A Story Takes Shape

At the heart of the story are Fox and Butterfly, two very different little creatures whose lives cross for a short but meaningful time.

Their friendship became a way to explore something both children and adults understand: sometimes the people who touch our lives are not meant to stay forever.

But what they leave with us can.

Curious Fox

Fox is curious, observant, and content in his woodland home. Through him, we experience the changing landscape and the wonder of discovering something or someone we have never encountered before.

His world is filled with trees, flowers, changing skies, and other woodland creatures. But meeting Butterfly brings a new kind of beauty into his life.

And with friendship comes change.

Fox has to learn that holding something close does not always mean keeping it.

Hopeful Butterfly

Butterfly brings color, movement and possibility into Fox's world.

She is delicate, but she is not simply fragile. Her journey is part of the natural rhythm unfolding around them.

Through Butterfly, the story gently explores transformation and the idea that change can be beautiful, even when it is hard to understand.

Observant Owl

If you look closely, you will notice Owl appearing throughout Fox & Butterfly, often watching quietly from the trees or the sky.

Her presence is intentional. Owl stands for wisdom, guidance, and observance, serving as a watchful presence as Fox moves through friendship, change, and the lessons that come with both.

Owls also hold significance in many Indigenous traditions, although their meanings vary widely across Nations and communities. Instead of giving Owl one universal meaning, her presence in Fox & Butterfly gently acknowledges traditions that see animals as more than just background to our lives, but as beings with their own wisdom, presence, and place in the natural world.

She does not need to lead the story or explain its lessons. She simply watches, listens, and in her own quiet way, helps guide Fox along his path.

Painting the Story

The illustrations became just as important to me as the words themselves.

Each scene started as hand-drawn artwork. I wanted the woodland to feel soft and inviting, with small details that encourage children to linger on the page and notice what is happening beyond the words.

The artwork changed a lot as I worked on the book. Some illustrations were repainted, others were reworked, and many went through several revisions.

But that process helped me find the visual world I wanted for Fox and his friends: whimsical, imperfect, and clearly handmade.

From a Memory to a Book

Fox & Butterfly: A Woodland Tale of Friendship and Change.

It is a children's story, but I have never thought of it as being only for children.

It is about friendship, change, wonder, loss, and the way a small moment can stay with us long after it has passed.

Sometimes we do not know which moments will become part of us as they happen.

We notice them.

Years later, we realize they never really left.