In "Hope for the Flowers," the caterpillars Stripe and Yellow attempt to climb a pile of caterpillars called a "caterpillar pillar." Soon they realize they can only ascend by forming cocoons and turning into butterflies.
According to Paulus' own website, she came up with idea of butterflies as symbols for life changes when a friend dealt with the death of a loved one. Paulus drew a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly on a card to signify that life does not end, but changes.
The tumultuous 1960s proved further inspiration for Paulus, who rejected the era's revolutionary sentiments. Instead, she used the symbol of the butterfly as a call for natural change rather than destruction of the old ways.
"Hope for the Flowers" debuted in 1973 and was translated into different languages for publication all over the world, effectively showing the power of Paulus' parable.
In 2007, Paulus, who breeds butterflies in her own home, wrote a screenplay based on her book with the intention to seek funding and animators to create a film adaptation.