The book draws its inspiration from the bedtime stories my grandmother used to share with me. These stories revolved around a young girl and her affection for ladybirds. It was only later that I discovered that these stories were about the experiences of my mother and grandmother in 1970s Lisbon, Portugal.

The illustrations in the book feature a warm and muted color palette, evoking the feeling of cherished memories or vintage film photographs, transporting readers to the era in which the story is set.