Curiosity Killed the Caterpillar
I wrote this book in 2010, from a place of real feeling, not just theory. The reading you will find here was recorded in 2019. I am a different person now than the one who wrote it, and a different person again from the one who read it aloud. Which feels like exactly the point.
This story is a gentle foray. It was written for the times when our feelings need to be handled softly, when what is called for is care. If this is one of those times, this is for you.
— Tamara
A story about emotional overwhelm, coping strategies, and finding your way back to your self.
A weaving of metaphors from nature for children and adults navigating trauma, emotional dysregulation, and disconnection.
Watch Tamara Read From Her Book
Join me as I read from Curiosity Killed the Caterpillar — a story about big feelings, coping strategies, and what it means to tend to your self.
About the Book
A terrible thing has happened to 11-year-old Lucy. She is overwhelmed and confused and does not know what to do. She pushes her Mad, Sad, Glad and Scared (along with the terrible thing) into her backpack and runs away.
On her journey, she meets different characters who share how they cope with difficult experiences. Each encounter offers tools, insights, and ways of learning to sit with feelings rather than avoid them.
This story uses metaphor and nature based imagery to introduce emotional coping and grounding skills in a way that is accessible for both children and adults.
Unlike traditional therapeutic workbooks, this is a fictional narrative that integrates psychological themes through story, offering concrete ways to understand and relate to emotional experience.
About the Author
Tamara Skjolden is a Marriage and Family Therapist and Registered Clinical Counsellor working in private practice in Vancouver, BC.
This story was created to support conversations between adults and children about difficult feelings, and to offer language for adults who are making sense of early emotional experiences and trauma.
About the Illustrator
Artist Audrey Adalwulf holds a Bachelor of Arts and Design from Columbia College Chicago. Her work integrates fine arts and psychology with a focus on expressive and therapeutic art practices.
She continues her work through volunteering in youth art programs and supporting creative development for children and youth with learning differences.
Purchase
$25 per copy +$5 shipping within Canada +$10 international shipping