VICTORIA -- A Vancouver Island author’s new book is earning recognition in just its second week of publication, and he hopes it creates change.
The book honours the memory of Chloe and Aubrey Berry, killed by their father, Andrew Berry, on Christmas Day 2017.
“After the tragic events of December 2017, I really wanted to do something for them … in their memory,” said author David McArthur.
McArthur knew both girls and is a friend of Sarah Cotton, their mother. He titled the book “What Does A Caterpillar Do?”
“Sarah used to refer to them as her butterflies and that is really where the idea of the caterpillar turning into the butterfly is, where it came from,” said McArthur. “It was my way of showing Sarah how much she meant to us and what the kids meant to us.”
In just two weeks, the book has become the hottest new children’s title on Amazon, and one of the site’s bestsellers.
The story is about the two girls. They are the caterpillar metamorphosing into the butterfly.
Cotton wrote a message for the book’s back cover, describing her daughters as her butterflies.
“Your support of this book is important as profits go to the Victoria Child Abuse Prevention and Counselling Centre,” Cotton wrote.
Andrew Berry was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of four-year-old Aubrey and six-year-old Chloe.
Berry is facing a mandatory life sentence with no eligibility for release for 22 years.
McArthur said he hopes the book turns the page on abuse.
“We need to look at ourselves as a society and make sure what happened to Chloe and Aubrey never happens again, not just in Victoria, in B.C., Canada or even in the world,” he said.
To purchase a book or learn more, visit the book’s website.
