Anna Peel, 36, from Dore, has written a children's story based on the Genesis narrative of Noah's Ark - only her version is told from the viewpoint of a tiny caterpillar.

"It's about Noah's Ark but written from the perspective of someone who was at the event. My story tells it from the angle of a Charlie the caterpillar and also shows his transformation into a butterfly."

The story, Noah and the Caterpillars, is part of an anthology of alternative biblical stories for adults and children called Disasters and Miracles.

But although Anna's subject matter is biblical, she says the symbolism of the caterpillar is more universal than religious.

"It's about how you start off with something very small, like a caterpillar, and grow into something much bigger. The small things we do really make a difference," says Anna, whose pen name is Elise Harter.

"Even if you don't believe in the Bible the stories still have good values and teachings in them."

Fittingly, Anna is donating 50 per cent of her profits to Butterfly Conservation and the Green Belt Movement, the formation of which she likens to that of a caterpillar.

"Wangari Maathai has won a Nobel Peace Prize for founding the Greenbelt Movement. She started off small and her work grew into a huge organisation."

Anna said: "You won't get anywhere thinking what you're doing doesn't matter, just because it's small."

Speaking of her decision to support Butterfly Conservation, she added: "When I was having my photograph taken at Whirlowbrook Hall for this story, I wanted a butterfly in the picture.

"But there were none around. The fact we couldn't find any butterflies today is a reminder that five out of the 60 butterfly species in the UK are now extinct and two-thirds of the remainder are under threat."

Charlie the Caterpillar's character nods to the dwindling population of that transformative creature.

But Anna herself is something of an expert when it comes to transformations.

Just six years ago, the author - who is related to the Saxton family of Saxton Mee estate agency - was working in a very different realm, as events organiser for NATO's parliamentary assembly in Belgium.

Anna recalled: "It involved a lot of translating and organising events. It's really fun doing the children's writing after working in a world that's very serious."

Anna then moved into bio-diversity work in Rome before returning to Sheffield.

The author, who speaks French, Italian and Spanish, admits she wants to continue working as a children's author after the book is published.

She said: "It's really good fun. When I was writing Noah and the Caterpillars I had to get into the mindset of a caterpillar - it was great."

Anna revealed she already has inspiration for her next book: "A very nice thing happened to me the other day. I was in a supermarket and a man came up to me and gave me a four-leaf clover. He said he didn't want to give it to just anybody, he wanted to give it to somebody who would appreciate it."

- Noah and the Caterpillars, part of the Disasters and Miracles anthology, is being issued by Bridge House Publishing, a small agent in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. It will be available in Waterstones and Amazon on August 13. Anna's website is www.eliseharter.weebly.com

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