Customer Reviews

Ladybug Girl

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What a cool costume Ladybug Girl wears! Could it be indicative of heroic things inside the covers? I thought so until I read the book. Wait a minute! Is this all? No heroism (well, maybe one tiny act), no major drama trauma, no fits, just one little girl out with her dog for the day, just doing everyday things.

Everyday things. How can a children's book possibly be entertaining, filled with everyday things. The first time I read the book, I was so disappointed. I picked it out from our spring book fair because I liked the cover. After I read the story, I thought, Well, my students will think I'm pouring molasses.

Absolutely not so. "Ladybug Girl" has been one of the best received books I've read to classes this school year. They "got" it--they understood--and was I impressed!--that daily-ness is as essential to a child's play life as exciting events. They didn't say so in so many words, but when half the class wanted to check out this book, THAT was a key indicator that this is a "good" book.

A celebration of daily-ness. That's what I finally derived as the point of the book--after all, what is the point of creating a book if there is no point to it? Agreed? And daily-ness. Don't the ordinary things have import, too? After I closed the book, I sighed. This was my childhood, I thought. This is Every Girl's childhood (barring exotic lifestyles). It's a treasure, this book, this "Ladybug Girl." Here's what I mean:

1. Lulu (yes, that's the girl's name) wants to be entertained by others, but on this day, no one will accommodate her. She's on her own--with her Bassett hound Bingo, who can mimic every facial expression Lulu stocks.
2. She stands in her room, surrounded by all kinds of things to play with and declares: "There's nothing to do."
3. She goes into the library and looks at all the books. The problem is that Lulu doesn't yet read.
4. Outside, she finds ants marching over a rock, moves the rock, thus establishing herself as hero!
5. At the tiny pond she imagines a shark and splashes through it anyway!
6. She adds to the stone wall.
7. She walks along a giant, fallen tree.
8. She catches falling leaves.
9. She sits on a tree branch and makes her brother and his friends appear tiny through her thumb and index finger.

This is a lovely book celebrating childhood, the simple things, the best things. However, Ladybug Girl is not her only creation. On the inside covers, front and back, are a total of 16 other personages that Lulu assumes: pirate, witch, famous actress, space cadet, ballerina, tiger, mermaid, painter, fairy, and others. What a rich imaginative life this girl has! And not one video game in sight!

While out shopping tonight, the cover of this book caught my eye from across the store. I read it simply because I love ladybugs but found it to be most delightful (ladybugs or not)! How cute to add a "super hero" twist to her plight. The illustrations are great! As someone who was very petite for her age as a kid and constantly being told by everyone that she was "too little" to participate in various activities, this story really appealed to me, as I'm sure it will to other children in similar situations. I wish I had had this book as a kid for that very reason. The little girl reminds me of so many little ones I see nowdays who insist on wearing their Halloween costumes out in public for weeks on end. And, I love her little sidekick! I'm definitely adding this to my "must have" list for my baby nephew! Because of the super hero concept and the feats she performs, I think this book will appeal to most children even though the protagonist is a girl. And, it not's too terribly wordy, so most younger children should be able to maintain their attention throughout the story. It's simply delightful!

When I am deciding on which books to buy for our children's ever expanding bookshelf, I try to read all the reviews. Ladybug Girl was given glowing reviews in magazines and online. I don't wish to be negative -- just to add a bit of balance.

The pictures are whimsical and fun, showing a child brimming with imgaination however the storyline fails to bring this to light. It falls short. It is shallow. After my husband read it to the children his first remark was, "Not much to it." Exactly.

The children didn't ask any questions. Even though the story was supposed to be about imagination it didn't spark any in them. There wasn't a depth to the story to linger on in their minds -- or grab their hearts.

On the plus side is the choice of font style, size, boldness, and color for the text. It adds interest for the reader without making it difficult to read.

I bought this book to read to a class of second graders. The girls in the class particularly liked Ladybug Girl's adventures. They thought she was very cute in her little red outfit. So while the story should appeal to young readers or soon-to-be readers I think that the charming artwork will be appreciated by all ages. The ink lines and painting on the little girl and her faithful dog companion are superb! I hope that the artist, David Soman, illustrates more books in this manner. Go Ladybug Girl go! :-)

Come on Bingo! Ladybug girl has things to do!
I've read this book many times... 59 I think. My 3 year old wants it read to her before nap and at bedtime every day. She's the youngest of four, so I've read many children's books aloud... we've had many favourites. At first I thought it was just a cute tale of a little girl and her dog and their adventures one day. The illustrations are lovely, and the text grows with emphasis, and follows motion of words. The more I've read it, like any piece of art, the more I see the elements at work in the creation of this masterpiece. The character dynamic of older brother/younger sister is one that is easily related to. It is amplified in the repetitive phrase "too little." Her brother, unnamed though his friends are given names, remains the antagonist throughout. Lulu, or Ladybug girl, creates her own fun time, and cleverly discovers true fun in her own backyard. The scene with the "lake" and the idea that it's big, and not only a puddle, reflects the character struggle within Lulu. She herself is bigger than she appears, and she even may have a shark within her. The idea that her brother and all of his friends fit within her two fingers, a simplistic game a child would play, adds to the dénouement.
Brilliantly portrayed, dearly illustrated, cleverly executed... I want more stories about Lulu. Let's see her as the Pilot, or the Unicorn, or perhaps the mermaid in her future escapades. And always she'll have Bingo, even when she has nothing to do!

Playing dress up is very important in a young child's life and no child appreciates this more than Lulu.

Lulu is a smart and imaginative child, but when her mother tells her that she has to find her own entertainment for the day Lulu is lost. What can she do? Her brother Max does not want her around with his friends so off to her room she goes. That is not what a Ladybug Girls wants so out to the backyard she goes.

Ladybug girl has found her power in this outdoor world and sets about fixing and doing and helping. Just what Ladybug Girls are meant to do. See, she is not too little like her brother said; she can do many things.

Feeling as big as the whole outdoors, has put her in the perfect mood to realize that she is not so little after all.

Cute book with adorable illustration - my favorite being a little Ladybug Girl with her trusty dog looking over a large wall of books and counting all the L's. This is a very powerful picture that has stayed with me more than another other illustration in the book.

I bought this book for my cousin's daughter and she loved it. Lots of whimsical illustrations and a charming story.

My daughter just loves this book, it teaches girls a great lesson about being independent and using their imaginations to find their own brand of fun. It's an easy reader the book is at about a 2nd grade level so definitely something your little lady can read on her own.

Yes, as some have pointed out, this book is pretty simple. There really isn't a lot to it. A little girl named Lulu dons a ladybug `superhero' type costume and has adventures in her backyard. The adventure's aren't anything overly imaginative, but herein lays the beauty in my opinion.

Lulu is your typical little girl. She isn't anything special (well, all our little girls are special, but you get what I mean). The adventures she has in this book further prove that. That said, because of her `averageness' the book can be a tad underwhelming for the little ones. There may not be enough to keep their interest of challenge their imagination. This may be less the story and more the illustrations. When Lulu approaches a mere puddle that she claims is infested with sharks we see, in the picture, a puddle.

Again, this is a plus and a minus. Lulu is just like your kids, and the pictures help illustrate that.

I personally enjoy reading this book in a very deep and authoritative voice, regarding Lulu's adventures as more important than they really are. I think that this adds a layer of fun to the book. My daughter, who is nearly three, loves this book (but she loves all her books for the most part). The illustrations are nicely drawn and the font styling is very catchy and engaging.

I agree with those who say that Lulu is a good role model for little girls. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is because she isn't concerned about her image (I mean, that isn't the thing to focus on with this story). I think that Lulu's ability to create a fun filled day despite being more or less alone is a good object lesson for our children. Her brother thinks she is too little to play with him, and that is a very real scenario. Her parents are busy around the house; another real scenario. There are going to be days when our little ones are left to amuse themselves, and Lulu (a.k.a. Ladybug Girl) proves that it is possible to have grand adventures right in your backyard.

Lulu has the day to play by herself - mom and dad are busy, and her brother doesn't want her around.

So she DOES play by herself. She rescues ants. She climbs a log. She splashes in a puddle and counts Ls on the books. She proves to herself how big and grown-up she is.

I like that we see what she's really doing as she pretends. I've found that my nieces, when younger, often didn't understand more fantastical illustrations. They couldn't tell if the pictures showed what was REALLY happening or not, and it confused them. And I like that Lulu reacts realistically to her brother's comments that she's "too small" to play with him - "I'm not small, YOU are!"

I don't like that the inside front cover shows a picture of her dressed up as an "Indian". In this day and age, seriously? That's like dressing up in blackface or something. Not cool, not cool at all. When I saw this, I seriously considered giving the book away, but I decided that since this is the only time we see this and I don't typically spend much time poring over the inside cover anyway, it wasn't worth the effort. I'll probably send a note in to the publisher and author complaining, though. I doubt they had any ill intent, but that doesn't make the illustration inoffensive or acceptable.