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Upside Down Beautiful
Upside Down Beautiful follows the life of a sad caterpillar named Down as it travels through a healing journey after being betrayed by a friend. Each short chapter is accented with artwork created by Tara Shannon, author and illustrator of Rabbit & Bear. **Please note that only the paper edition of Upside Down Beautiful contains full-colour artwork.**Initially, this book was written with adults in mind. However, it is also appropriate for children of most ages. Healing is a messy process that sometimes feels utterly hopeless. Many of us go through seasons where our lives are turned completely upside down. But grieving loss that includes betrayal, deceit, and toxic or narcissistic behaviours is a whole other level of trauma. These disappointments have the potential to colour the lens we use to view our entire world. These types of injuries demand more than resilience alone; they require us to sharpen discretion while simultaneously staying open to connection. Holding two contradicting concepts at the same time is difficult.
The fact is, people are imperfect. And many of us find ourselves living like insects caught in webs we didn’t make. Breaking free, learning lessons about trust, and evolving into people even more beautiful than before can seem impossible.
This is less a book about becoming and more a story about deconstructing. We are not born with biases and negative experiences. Life force-feeds us, providing a steady diet of things we didn’t plan for, expect, or deserve. Growth occurs when we shed who we accidentally became to find who we always were. Even though living is the ultimate struggle, if we accept the lessons cooked up for us, we can fly away nourished with the knowledge that even though we might be upside down, we are in fact beautiful.Heather Thomas is a lifelong writer and she can be followed on Facebook and Instagram @HeatherThomasAuthorTara Shannon is the creator of Rabbit & Bear and has written and illustrated Rabbit & Bear Make a Wish and Rabbit & Bear Return with the Light. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @TaraShannonWrites
The fact is, people are imperfect. And many of us find ourselves living like insects caught in webs we didn’t make. Breaking free, learning lessons about trust, and evolving into people even more beautiful than before can seem impossible.
This is less a book about becoming and more a story about deconstructing. We are not born with biases and negative experiences. Life force-feeds us, providing a steady diet of things we didn’t plan for, expect, or deserve. Growth occurs when we shed who we accidentally became to find who we always were. Even though living is the ultimate struggle, if we accept the lessons cooked up for us, we can fly away nourished with the knowledge that even though we might be upside down, we are in fact beautiful.Heather Thomas is a lifelong writer and she can be followed on Facebook and Instagram @HeatherThomasAuthorTara Shannon is the creator of Rabbit & Bear and has written and illustrated Rabbit & Bear Make a Wish and Rabbit & Bear Return with the Light. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @TaraShannonWrites
52 pages, Paperback
Published April 11, 2024
1 person want to read
About the author
Heather Thomas
97 books2 followersLibrarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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October 27, 2025
Upside Down Beautiful touched my heart in ways I didn’t expect. Heather Thomas writes with such honesty and warmth, turning pain into something hopeful and deeply human. Down’s journey reminds us that healing isn’t about becoming someone new, it’s about rediscovering who we’ve always been. Tara Shannon’s gentle artwork adds even more soul. Truly a comforting and beautiful read.
Displaying 1 of 1 review