What the Ladybug Heard
Author(s): Julia Donaldson
Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan: they'll sneak past all the animals and steal the farmer's fine prize cow. But they forget all about the tiniest, quietest creature on the farm—the ladybug. She has a plan of her own.
Julia Donaldson turns her literary expertise to a farm setting, and comes up with a rollicking barnyard mystery. Lydia Monks' colorful collage illustrations go perfectly with the story for a winning combination. Readers will quack, neigh, moo, and cheer for the ladybug all the way through!
What the Ladybug Heard is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Review(s):
“Flamboyant colors, zany perspectives and a neatly circular tale lead, with satisfying inevitability, to a happy outcome for all but the thieves.” —Washington Post
“The appealing and brightly colored collage illustrations, rhyming text, and assorted animal sounds make it a natural for individual or group readalouds.” —Booklist
“An excellent read-aloud or lap book, it's full of slapstick action, animal noises, and repeated phrases that invite participation. Donaldson's rhymed verse is both rhythmic and skillfully executed.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“Low on menace and high on clever silliness, this highly readable rhyming tale will have young listeners participating in the delivery of these unexpected variations on animal sounds and examining the last scene.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The playful rhyming text flows without stumbling and offers the opportunity to demonstrate one's finest animal sounds. Monk's illustrations incorporate paint and collage to depict boldly caricatured participants in farmyard tableaux.” —School Library Journal
Long-listed Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year (2011), Long-listed Nevada YR Award Master List (2012)
ISBN: 9780805090284