The (Underappreciated) Life of Humphrey Hawley

by Mathieu Cailler, Carrie Louise Wood (Illustrator), Rebecca Wood (Illustrator)

"Humphrey" is about a beetle who wants to be a ladybug because he sees the way ladybugs are loved by humans; however, after time spent pretending to be something he's not, he learns to love his world and, more importantly, himself.

30 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2018

About the author

Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: one novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His stories, poems, and essays have appeared in over one hundred publications, including the Saturday Evening Post and the Los Angeles Times. He is the recipient of numerous awards, most notably the Shakespeare Award, the Short Story America Prize, the New England Book Festival Award, the Los Angeles Book Festival Prize, and the Paris Book Festival Prize. Feel free to connect with him on social media @writesfromla or at mathieucailler.com.

Reviews

[Kali VanBaale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable picture book with positive themes and messages about identity, fitting in, and self-acceptance. Humphrey's story is charming, and the illustrations beautiful.
BONUS: Spanish language version is also available.

[Sandra de Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's about a beetle who wants to be a ladybug. He has an adventure, but comes home convinced he should remain a beetle.

[Racquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this cute story to my niece and nephew!