A Butterfly Smile

Jul 17, 2026

A Butterfly Smile is an illustrated English science story following Kavya, a new student in Bengaluru, who hesitates to speak because of her accent and unfamiliar school life. Guided by Laila Miss, Kavya answers a question about caterpillars and learns the life cycle: eating leaves, weaving cocoons, transforming, and emerging as butterflies. The class trip to the park reveals butterflies in many vivid colors, helping Kavya reconnect with the memories she misses from her village.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time39 min

AccessFree to download

Laila Miss and the Question

Moving to Bengaluru and Finding Courage

The Caterpillar Life Cycle

From Leaves to Cocoons to Butterflies

A Park Filled with Color

A Butterfly Smile Author: Mathangi Subramanian Illustrator: Lavanya Naidu English Science A Butterfly Smile A Butterfly Smile (English), written by Mathangi Subramanian , illustrated by Lavanya Naidu, supported by Oracle, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books,2017) under a CC BY 4.0 license, first released on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free [on www.storyweaver.org.in](on www.storyweaver.org.in) Reformatted by Amitha Amar, 3Strands English India Copyright © 2025, A Butterfly Smile (English), written by Mathangi Subramanian , illustrated by Lavanya Naidu, supported by Oracle, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books,2017) under a CC BY 4.0 license, first released on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on [www.storyweaver.org.in](www.storyweaver.org.in) [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) You are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc. "Line up class! Let's go to the park,"Laila Miss says . All the students hold hands, chattering away. Kavya stands by herself. As they start walking, Laila Miss asks, "Does anyone know what a caterpillar becomes when it grows up?" Kavya's stomach flips . She knows the answer! Should she say something? Kavya and her family have just moved to Bengaluru from her village. They live at the construction site where her parents work. It's hard living in a halffinished house . The air smells of smoke, and the honking traffic makes it hard to sleep. The towering buildings, zooming cars, and busy people make her feel very, very small. Kavya has been coming to school for a week. She still hasn’t spoken to anyone . What if they make fun of her accent? Or tease her because she’s never been to school before? Kavya takes a deep breath and raises her hand. In a noisy city like Bengaluru, she can’t be quiet forever . "When caterpillars grow up, they become butterflies," Kavya says . "That’s right!" Laila Miss says . "Caterpillars are only caterpillars for a few weeks," Kavya says . "They spend that whole time eating leaves . " "They must get very big," says Mary, her classmate . "They do!" "After they eat and eat and eat, caterpillars weave cocoons on the sides of plants . They go inside, where they grow and change," says Kavya . "That’s correct," Laila Miss says . "They stay in the cocoons for about two weeks . When they come out, they are butterflies . " "Look, we’re at the park!" Mary says . Kavya gasps. The park is covered in butterflies! Blue butterfliies the colour of rivers . Yellow butterflies the colour of sunlight. Orange butterflies the colour of ripe chikoos . Black-and-white butterflies the colours of starry skies . These are all the colours Kavya misses from her village. She feels her heart flutter .

FAQs

Why does Kavya feel nervous about speaking at school?

Kavya has just moved from her village to Bengaluru and has not spoken to anyone yet. She worries people may tease her accent or make fun of her because she is new to school.

What answer does Kavya give about caterpillars?

Kavya explains that when caterpillars grow up, they become butterflies. She also describes how caterpillars eat leaves and later weave cocoons on the sides of plants.

What happens inside the cocoons, and how long do butterflies stay emerging?

Inside the cocoons, caterpillars grow and change. Laila Miss says they stay in the cocoons for about two weeks, then come out as butterflies.

Jul 17, 2026

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