Bella Mariposa © 2010

Main Story

Mari, a butterfly, and her best friend, Miele, a honeybee, live their days in the peaceful meadows of Aponi Valley. Mari is the daughter of a pair of loving parents. As their only child, she had the luxury of having not to share her parent's affection with another. But, as for Miele, she is the daughter of the queen of her hive, and unlike Mari, Miele has hundreds of sisters. When you are a face in a crowd of many, it's hard to stand out, but even so, to Mari, she is special. She is her dearest and closest friend. Even more than a friend, she considers her the sister she never had. 

Daily life in Aponi Valley is generally uneventful, but far from mundane. Honeybees help to make the flowers grow, butterflies help to make things more beautiful, crickets help to fill the world with song, and others help to change their home for the better in their own ways. Tranquility is a gift that the insect folk enjoy, but sometimes forsake, for not all insects are benign. Spiders, wasps, and the most fearsome, hornets wander the land in search for domains to conquer and people to prey upon. Do not stray into a spider's web, or the grasp of the wasp, or fall to the mandibles of the hornet swarm.

Spinoff Series: Bell Flowers

Bell Flowers is a non-canon children's series featuring the Bella Mariposa cast as children. In this series, Mari and her family adopted Miele. She lives with them and goes to the hive to learn about honeybee ways. The books are meant to be lighthearted and somewhat educational. Children read them and learn about working together, helping others, and being a good friend.