The Grouchy Ladybug

Product Description

The Grouchy Ladybug Eric Carle. Progressing through a series of brilliantly colored die-cut pages, a bad-tempered braggart becomes a nicer, happier, better-behaved bug. The arrangement of the book also introduces concepts of comparative size and telling time. 48 pages. Trim sizeÊ10 1/4" x 10 1/4".

Customer Reviews:

not nice.......2007-09-10

I typically like Eric Carle books, but I wish I'd never heard of this one. This was on my 6 year old daughter's summer reading list for first grade. The ladybug goes around to each animal wanting to fight. Maybe we're naive but I want to keep the innocence going in our family as long as possible. It's just NOT NICE and it doesn't really seem to teach a good lesson. I'd skip this one and buy one of his other books.

terrible book from an otherwise wonderful illustrator.......2007-08-13

why does eric carle have to make some of his characters so unappealing? what kid or parent would want to read a story about a total grouch who goes around the world being a pain in the neck? to me, this book and the very busy spider, who is an antisocial workaholic with no time for her neighbors, set really bad examples of behavior. why should i waste my time or my son's reading about characters i don't like? save your money for his better books--the chameleon, the polar bear, the kangaroo, the caterpillar, etc.

won't read this to my son.......2007-07-02

Thank goodness this book is beautifully illustrated b/c I won't be reading the text to my son. The whole premise of the book is that this ladybug goes around asking people to "fight" and rather than turning the ladybug down (b/c fighting is wrong) they agree to and then the ladybug chickens out.

My husband and I are hardly what you would call conservative, but I just don't see why I want to invite the notion of fighting in to my sons life. Eric Carle has so many other wonderful books. I suggest just skipping this one.

The first read book!.......2007-06-21

I had to make an entry for this book as it was the first time my daughter read a book by herself. Well with the help of a couple words.

The story is simple. Two ladybugs see a leaf with aphids and decide to have them. The nice ladybug will share but the grouchy ladybug wants them all and offers to fight for them. He is stared down by the nice ladybug and the grouch declares the nice ladybug is not big enough and flies off to find somebody to fight.

He flys by several bugs, reptiles and animals which get larger and larger as he keeps declaring them not to be big enough. The final animal a whale ends up slapping some sense into the ladybug.

It's a fun little book and it's repetitive so it will help a new reader as they learn.

As to the claims of fighting? Well I am not sure it's a valid concern. You don't see any tension and the other creatures respond with "If you insist" to which the answer is "Oh, you're not big enough"

The telling of time comes to play and there are drawings of clocks on each page show the time for each hour. This allowed an introduction to telling time for my girl.

The artwork is good and I liked the concept of the text getting bigger as each new creature got bigger.

Overall a fun read for my girl.

The Bad Tempered Ladybird.......2007-05-19

While this is not one of my favourite Eric Carle books to read aloud, my 4yo son loves it and will sit there pretending to read it to himself. He has long been a fan of the Very Hungry Caterpillar so was thrilled to discover this book.

Average customer rating:

Love it!
We love this book!
Counting Ladybugs
Fantastic book
very used

Ten Little Ladybugs
Melanie Gerth
Manufacturer: Piggy Toes Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1581170912

Book Description

In Ten Little Ladybugs, one by one, ten tactile bugs disappear. Where did they all go? Young ones will love finding this out as they feel their way through the sturdy, colorful pages of this innovative book. The cute critters provide a hands-on learning experience and the rhyming text reinforces the counting concept. Interactive, educational, adorable - this magical countdown book adds up to a whole lot of fun. See why over 800,000 have been sold to date!

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-08-23

We have read to our daughter every day since we brought her home from the hospital. Even at only three months old, she loves this book. The colors are very eye catching and she likes to feel the little lady bugs. We prop it up for her and turn the pages while she does tummy time. Another favorite, "Good Night, Sweet Butterflies" by the same author. Be sure to get both, for tactile stimulation as well as visual.

We love this book!.......2007-07-18

My son loves this book - he is only 10 months old, but he loves to touch all the ladybugs on the pages. And the pictures are so bright and colorful; he seems to really focus on each page. We read books every evening, and this one always elicits the most wonderful response from him.

Counting Ladybugs.......2007-07-07

Great book for your table where children can look at and explore the ladybugs. Very durable.

Fantastic book.......2007-07-03

My daughter has had this book for about 6 months and still loves it. The more she understands numbers (she's only 20 months), the more she appreciates it. Started out enjoying the rhyming and the animals and touching the round bugs. Now she's "getting" the idea of the numbers. Super great book.

very used.......2007-06-05

it was cheap but the4 book was very used but it served its purpose

Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are

Average customer rating:

Good Subject--Bad Editing
Riddled with Life
Disappointing
Disease is treated as an enemy to be eradicated - or should it be something more?
Is sex necessary?

Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are
Marlene Zuk
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151012253

Book Description

We think of disease as our enemy, something we try to eradicate; germs and infections are things we battle. But in this witty, engaging book, evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk reveals that, in fact, disease is our partner, not our foe, and is responsible for everything from how we look to how we have sex.

Since the earliest days of life on earth, disease has evolved alongside us. Drawing on the latest research and studies, Zuk explains the role of disease in answering a fascinating range of questions such as: Why do men die younger than women? Why does the average male bird not have a penis? Why do we—and lots of other animals—get STDs? How is our obsession with cleanliness making us sicker? And how can parasites sometimes make us well?

Using her own work on sexual selection as well as a sampling of stories from the natural world, Zuk makes us reconsider the fearsome parasite.

Customer Reviews:

Good Subject--Bad Editing.......2007-07-18

I'm giving this book 3 starts because it has some very fascinating content and the nature of the research should be better understood by everyone. We need to know that there is a serious risk to public health at hand due to the wide spread misuse of antibiotics. So read it! It's important! This review is just warning you that it may take some effort.

To Ms. Zuk and her editors: "Read the 'Accidental Mind' by Dr. Linden before you publish your next 'accessible to the public" science book. Note how you can be clear, concise, and still have a sense of humor. I really got the feeling that no one actually read your book through (while paying attention) before it went to press. You can do better."

Riddled with Life.......2007-07-12

Great read!! I grew up in tropical regions of Latin America where parasites were always considered an enemy to be avoided. It wasn't until I read this book that I realized that not only could I NOT avoid them but in fact I NEEDED them for my very existence! This book is suitably researched and scientific to satisfy any skeptic. It is WONDERFULLY humorous throughout. It is informative as can be. Any layman, even without scientific training, will find this book highly informative, fun, and well worth the read. OK, there are a few passages that bog down a bit, but they are few and far between. The rest is just great. I'm giving this one to several people this Christmas.

Disappointing.......2007-06-23

I bought this book after I heard an interview of the author on a late night radio show. The book was very disappointing to me and I must admit I didn't finish it. I think it may have been the constant gushing about Evolution and Darwin that was boring me.

Disease is treated as an enemy to be eradicated - or should it be something more? .......2007-06-09

Disease is treated as an enemy to be eradicated - or should it be something more? Evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk here argues that disease is our partner, not a foe: it's evolved alongside humans and is actually essential to health. The latest research and some unusual studies explores the role of disease in longevity, evolution, and the animal and insect as well as human worlds, using the author's on work on sexual selection processes to supplement intriguing stories from nature. An excellent survey, RIDDLED WITH LIFE: FRIENDLY WORMS, LADYBUG SEX, AND THE PARASITES THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE is a pick not just for school holdings but for the general-interest library strong in popular science and health.

Is sex necessary?.......2007-05-28

I can still close my eyes and see Thurber's little cartoon guy slouching dispiritedly past an embracing couple on the park bench, and asking his famous question.

If he knew that most complex organisms evolved into two sexes because of parasites, he would probably have thrown his jacket over his head and screamed.

Marlene Zuk, a professor of biology at the University of California, provides `parasites' as the answer to many evolutionary conundrums, as she brings us face-to-proboscis with some of the natural world's most bizarre adaptations surrounding the continued survival of genomes, including our own.

What causes auto-immune diseases? Why do female peacocks go for males with the fanciest tail feathers? Are some people more accident-prone than others? Why did Debbie Estis Greenspan invent Dr. Doormat?

Are all of these phenomena caused by parasites? `Yes,' according to Professor Zuk.

If you don't believe that parasitized people have more accidents, read the chapter "Bad but Not Weird: The Real Emerging Diseases." Not only might the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis be responsible for a higher automobile accident rate, it might also trigger schizophrenia:

"Children of mothers who were infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy show higher levels of mental retardation, brain malformations, and seizures. Ewald and coworkers believe that the reason more people with schizophrenia are born at certain times of year is that their mothers were more likely to have come into contact with cats and their feces."

"Riddled with Life" presents a very clear thesis: evolution is driven by parasitism. It is backed up by fascinating proofs. I read this book while I was a guest at a friend's house, and couldn't help quoting example after example from Dr. Zuk's research.

The probable driver for the evolution of bedbug sex is particularly bizarre...I just hope I don't reincarnate as a lady bedbug.

Read this book and gross out your own friends. You may never be invited to stay over again, thanks to Professor Zuk's unforgettable examples of parasites in action.

Average customer rating:

No Bugs Here
Ladybug's a winner at our house
Great Book
Adorable!!!...........
What an innovative book!

Ladybug on the Move
Richard Fowler
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152004750

Customer Reviews:

No Bugs Here.......2005-10-26

My 2 year old is obsessed with this book. She loved it the first time we read it togther. It provides edless enjoyment to her to move the ladybug back and forth through the pages of the book. We use it as a bed time book, sending ladybug to bed under her leaf at the end of the book. Surprisingly the ladybug has held up well with all the use - the book even provides a template for a new bug should the original bug disappear. I highly recommend this book.

Ladybug's a winner at our house.......2005-07-28

We got this book as a special treat for our (almost) 3-year old daughter while on vacation. She loves it! She giggles every time the ladybug slides under the door on one page and ends up right in front of the cat on the next page. We have't quite gotten to actually reading the story that goes along with all the ladybug's activities as our daughter is too involved with having the ladybug jump from one page to the next.

I didn't give this book a 5 for the following reasons:
-the slits that the ladybug slides through are not reinforced, so I anticipate a ripped page or two in our near future.
-the ladybug is also just thick paper, so probably not the best for longevity.
-the slits are also not very well marked and are almost exactly the size of the ladybug, so our daughter does have some difficulty with getting the ladybug through . Just a little difficult for toddler hands, so it is not the best book for her to manuever alone. Maybe in a few months or so it will be easier for her.

All in all, a great purchase, just a little more delicate than I would have expected. Would definitely purchase it again, and would recommend it!

Great Book.......2002-02-13

We have a blast with this book. The concept is very cute...a ladybug is being munched out of her home by a snail and goes on an adventure to find a new one. He literally does...walks through the book! My two year old and four year old ask for this story consistently. Buy this one!

Adorable!!!..................2001-11-27

.............two to four year olds will just love this book, especially if they like gardens and bugs and are inquisitive! Your youngster is sure to love traveling with this little ladybug as she slips under a rock, into a flower pot, past an ant and under a door, into a warm cat's tail and finally into her home in the leaves! The interactivity is wonderful in this book. Your child guides the little cardboard ladybug along her path and through every other page and onto the next to discover her next adventure. Should the cutout get lost, the book includes a pattern for making another. This won't likely be necessary as the plastic pocket on the front of the book seems pretty sturdy and fits the ladybug snugly.

The language in this book is quite simple and sure to be understood by very young children. Each of the eighteen pages also contain only a few lines. The illustrations are cute and each scene in the garden is quite eventful, which is sure to captivate a young mind! I'm buying this book for my four year old nephew (an avowed ladybug lover) and I think he's sure to fall in love with it!

What an innovative book!.......2001-07-28

I ordered this book for my daughter's 3rd birthday and I was so pleased. She thinks this book is so much fun. She loves to insert the ladybug into the openings in the pages and then get it on the other side. And I think the illustrations are beautiful. She is always careful to put the ladybug (which is quite sturdy) back into the holder on the cover so I don't think we'll lose it.

Holy Bible: New International Version, Ladybug Italian Duo-tone, Compact (Bug Collection Bible Series)

Average customer rating:

Holy Bible: New International Version, Ladybug Italian Duo-tone, Compact (Bug Collection Bible Series)

Manufacturer: Zondervan Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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ASIN: 0310714400

Average customer rating:

Fun for little ladybugs!
Ladybug's Birthday

Ladybug's Birthday (Sidebyside)
Steve Metzger
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590025996

Customer Reviews:

Fun for little ladybugs!.......2007-01-05

My kindergartener had a ladybug birthday party, and we gave this book as the party favor. She loves anticipating what is coming next and reading along with me! Everyone will love this little ladybug party story!

Ladybug's Birthday.......2000-06-20

Since I am an elementary school teacher, I always buy my nephew theme presents for his birthday. I happened upon this book while looking for an offbeat fiction book about ladybugs. It was surprisingly entertaining. The plot is very positive as ladybug's friends take turns solving problems they have caused by bringing additional guests to her birthday party.The text is kid-pleasing with lots of alliteration (family of flighty fireflies, sprinkling of spindly spiders, etc)and predictable language. The illustrations are simple, yet bright and eye-catching. It is part of a Scholastic series called "Side by Side, Books for collaborative reading". According to Scholastic, "the structure of the text encourages taking turns because it combines a read-aloud book with an emergent reader, which results in true collaborative reading". Although the emergent text has been highlighted, is much larger than the read-aloud text, and is isolated on the left hand page, I'm not sure how well this book would work as a true emergent text. The reading levels rise sharply after the very simple introductory pages. This is a small quibble as the language is engaging and predictable and young children love to chime in to "read" a book whether that involves true reading (decoding the words) or merely repeating memorized words. The book has 29 pages so would be most appropriate for children aged 4-6.

Average customer rating:

Ladybug non-fiction
Good Book for Little Ones
Short and Sweet, A Pleasure to Read!
Outstanding information on Ladybug Metamorphosis
A reader-friendly book packed with fun and content

Are you a Ladybug? (Backyard Books)
Judy Allen
Manufacturer: Kingfisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0753456036

Book Description

Beginning with its title question, "Are you a ladybug?," this accessible book is perfect for reading aloud and tells young readers how they would experience life if they were a ladybug.

Customer Reviews:

Ladybug non-fiction.......2007-07-07

FINALLY! A book about ladybugs that is factual and well written. Lovely illustrations, also. Great subject matter.

Good Book for Little Ones.......2007-05-18

I used this book in my kindergarten classroom, and it really helped them understand how ladybugs grow. The illustrations and text are very simple and easy to follow. The kids enjoyed learning the song "Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away" after hearing parts of it in the story.

Short and Sweet, A Pleasure to Read!.......2007-01-17

This is a cute, easy to understand and very short guide to information about ladybugs for young children. Each two page spread is wonderfully illustrated (watercolor and pencil, a mellow, natural look) with a few short sentences about the lifecycle of the ladybug from the "mom" laying eggs, through the several metamorphosis that the young larvae go through...acknowledging that young ladybugs look nothing like adults, which is excellent because this entire process can be difficult to explain to young children without them seeing it...and in Are You a Ladybug, it's all drawn out nicely and it's very easy to understand!

Are you a Ladybug presents the physical characteristics and behavior of ladybugs as ell as their diet, habitat and also discusses how animals and birds don't eat them because they taste bad...no reason is given and it's never discussed if they have any natural predators, we were left to find out this information on our own, so that was slightly disappointing.

What's so appealing about Are You a Ladybug is that because of the way it's written, young readers (or listeners, if you use these as read-alouds) are put front and center, they are put in the position of imagining what is going on from hatching and eating their egg, to molting, eating lots and lots of aphids, and then growing their hard shell. This book really engages young minds in a way that is both accurate (scientifically presented) and fun (pretend play/imaginative), with just the right amount of humor to keep it from getting bogged down in facts. I give it four stars, it would have gotten five, but there is no glossary and the author does not define what an aphid is...though this did provide us with an opportunity to go to their picture dictionary and allow them to look it up and discuss it as an additional activity! Great for ages 4-8, with 4-6 probably being the ideal age range, what a fun way to "gear up" for spring, when animals and insects of all kinds will be coming out in force. With this book, we've given our kids a head start on what to look for this spring and they are looking forward to it.

Outstanding information on Ladybug Metamorphosis.......2005-04-28

I was thrilled when I found this book! It is so difficult to teach children that metamorphosis doesn't just mean when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly - that it happens to all insects. Observing the metamorphosis of more than one animal is the key. This book is simply splendid alongside the Ladybug Land product from Highlights.com where you purchase a ladybug habitat and larvae and observe the process for yourself. I agree with all the enthusiastic reviews below and rate this book * highly recommended * in terms of accessible fun reading & valuable scientific content.

A reader-friendly book packed with fun and content.......2002-09-03

This book has it all--engaging, not too complicated text, GREAT illustrations and a lots of good science content. I have a huge collection of pre-school, early elem. books on insects, but none of them cover the type of metamorphosis that the lady beetle goes through, with the larvae looking totally different than the adult, and the pupae looking . . . well not like a butterfly cocoon, that's for sure, just a spotted lump! I was conducting a class for middle school teachers and we found a lady beetle pupa on a leaf and I thought in might be a gall. Luckily my book order for the early elementary class came in and I noticed the picture in the "Are You a Ladybug" book that explained what we had found. That's a pretty good endorsement for a pre-school book, that it can teach a middle school science class new information! Also, this book is very usefull to teach about how insect predators help control pest populations, since the beetles in the book eat aphids and more aphids. Again, this type of information is not often found in pre-school level books. I bought the grasshopper book too, and I like these books so much I am ordering the whole series!

Finger Puppet Friends: Little Duck, Little Ladybug, Little Lamb, and Little Bee! (Finger Puppet Book)

Average customer rating:

Fun Books!
Great and simple

Finger Puppet Friends: Little Duck, Little Ladybug, Little Lamb, and Little Bee! (Finger Puppet Book)

Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0811858057

Product Description

Four charming friends for baby! Includes 4 finger puppet board books (Little Bee, Little Ladybug, Little Lamb, and Little Duck). Sweet, simple rhyming text and interactive finger puppets combine for hours of delightful play. Each book is 4.50 x 4.50 x 1 inches, 12 pages, and full color. Ages infant to 3 years.

Customer Reviews:

Fun Books!.......2007-05-13

My son at 6 months really was not into books. This series uses small puppets that can be wiggled with each page keeping kids interst. The stories are nothing special but the illustrations are bright and colorful. I have since bought a set as a gift for a friend.

Great and simple.......2007-04-06

What can I say! I work with kids for a living and they love it!

Average customer rating:

Very cute, entertaining story.
Great for younger children
My Infant's Favorite
wow
Very nice to read and to hold!

The Very Lazy Ladybug
Isobel Finn
Manufacturer: Tiger Tales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1589250079

Book Description

This lazy ladybug likes to sleep all day and night. She is so lazy that she hasn't learned to fly yet. One day she decides she wants to find someplace else to sleep...but how can she go anywhere if she can't fly? Follow the lazy ladybug as she catches a ride with a jumpy kangaroo, a swinging monkey, a scratching bear, and many other animals. She just can't find a peaceful place to sleep. When an elephant walks by, the ladybug thinks she's found a nice quiet ride, but she's in store for a surprise!

Customer Reviews:

Very cute, entertaining story........2006-12-27

Very cute, entertaining story. Nice pictures. Worth a lot more than the price paid!!

Great for younger children.......2006-08-28

I read this to my triplets that are 2 years old and they absolutely loved it. Each time I turned the page and they saw the big animals they tried to do the animal sounds and loved how I raised my voice and hit the book when the ladybug hopped onto different animals. I highly recommend this for younger kids.

My Infant's Favorite.......2005-04-02

I have been reading this to my daughter since she was 3 or 4 months old. She gets fussy if I try to read another book, but as soon as I start to read this one, she calms down and listens. I don't know if it is the story or the pictures. I am trying to find one that catches her attention as well as this one. Any ideas???

wow.......2004-10-22

this must be a great book it has good reviews and the author has the same name as me lol a must buy

Very nice to read and to hold!.......2003-06-14

The previous reviewers have already described the story very well so I won't add to that. I just want to describe the excellent way in which this book was built which is something you really can't tell from the Internet.

This book is of very excellent construction, is a very pleasing book to hold, should stand up to your kids' abuse and is an excellent addition to your collection. This book is like a giant board book. The book's dimensions are about 9"x11" so it's very significant which really helps bring the wonderful illustrations to life -- no squinting to see the pictures! Also, the pages are very thick -- like a board book -- except that the pages are several times bigger than a normal board book. The pages are also glossy and shiny so it's nice to hold and should also repel any liquids your kid spills on them. The illustrations are very cute and the colors are very vibrant, especially since the pages are so big.

Customer Reviews:

What a Wonderful Book!!!!!.......2007-05-18

This book is so cute and accurately shows how ladybugs grow from eggs to adult beetles. My kindergarten class loved this story, especially the part at the end that compares children and ladybugs. I love, love, loved this book!

Simple Facts for Young Readers.......2007-01-18

You know, when I read Are You are Ladybug, which I read just prior to this, I didn't think the subject could get any simpler...and I was wrong. This book is, in fact even simpler. It contains much the same information, starting out with a paragraph (on the back of the title page) about the Two-Spotted Lady Bug Beetle, which you can read (I think it's aimed at parents) and from there each page contains one very simple sentence and is accompanied by one very large (but deliciously colorful) illustration. What this book lacks that Are You a Ladybug had was a slightly more complex look at the metamorphosis that the Ladybug Larvae go through (i.e. that they split out of their skin multiple times before finally morphing into the from we are most familiar with). It does take the reader (or listener) through the entire lifecycle of the ladybug and even goes into some of the dangers they face in navigating through the world, but never fear parents of very young children, all ends well in this story.

Overall I give it 4 stars, this is strictly for very young children (ages 2-5) who are curious about those flying red bugs they see outside in the spring. A good starter book for kids and a nice breakaway from reading story books for parents who are reading aloud to their small children several times a day.

The Life and Struggles of a Ladybug.......2005-03-01

This small book of 32 pages describes the life and lifecycle of the Adalia Bipunctata or Ladybug beetle. Except for one brief description, which is probably for parents, it has one simple sentence per page, such as "In the early spring, a ladybug lays her eggs on a leaf."

I can not speak to the difficulty these sentences might present to newer readers as my children are not reading yet, but the book does contain the following words: aphid, cranefly, larva, mealybug, pupa, robberfly and beetle.

The story takes us through the seasons: from early spring where a ladybug is flying away from a leaf where she has laid eggs; to late spring where an emerging larva soon begins devouring aphids. This larva soon changes into a pupa from which a new ladybug emerges. This summer beetle then goes in search of food and has some adventures in which she barely escapes being lunch to a warbler and a praying mantis. Other bugs are eaten by the way. I mention this because some children might find this distressing.

Finally, the ladybug looks for a mate. Nothing objectionable for children here, in my opinion, and the next page shows our beetle laying her own eggs. Then everyone hibernates over the winter.

Overall a nice story about the life of a ladybug.

A vibrant look at a miniature world.......2004-05-12

"A Ladybug's Life" is written and illustrated by John Himmelman. The text and pictures look at the life cycle of a ladybug, including hatching, metamorphosis, and eventual egg-laying. The book includes a glossary of terms ("aphid," "larva," etc.).

Himmelman has crafted some wonderful images: golden ladybug eggs clustered on a green leaf, a ladybug dwarfed by a fierce looking preying mantis, and more. The artist brings to vivid life a world of savage beauty--it's like looking at an exotic science fiction landscape. The book shows predation and evasion of predation, but is not gory and deals with these realities of insect life in a matter-of-fact way. This book is another triumph for the talented Himmelman, who has created in these pages a world that is rich in color, action, and drama.

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