Ladybug Girl
by Jacky Davis
illustrated by David Soman
Date: 2008
Publisher: Dial
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: We Give Books
Lulu's older brother says she is too little to play with him. Her mama and papa are busy too, so Lulu has to make her own fun. This is a situation for Ladybug Girl!
Ladybug Girl saves ants in distress, jumps through shark-infested puddles, and even skips along the great dark twisty tree trunk -- all by herself. It doesn't matter what her brother says, Ladybug Girl is definitely not too little!
In this sweet and cheerful story by husband and wife team Jacky Davis and David Soman, one not-so-little girl discovers how to make some fun that is just her size, right in her own backyard.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
This is (as far as I can tell) the first book in the series. Lulu is a fairly generic kid, so young she can't read, but apparently old enough to go play in the wilderness (or a really large backyard) without adult supervision. Most of the "plot" is just a bunch of activities she undertakes after her older brother won't let her play with him.
The thing that struck me about this book (and the rest of the books in the series) right away was the weird tense. I don't think I've read many picture books that were written in the present tense. It seems clumsy to me, and almost as if the books are training tools for when the kid grows up and has to get used to it if they want to read young adult fiction (where a large percentage of stories use present-tense narration). In a picture book, it just doesn't work.
Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 2/5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy
by Jacky Davis
illustrated by David Soman
Date: 2009
Publisher: Dial
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: We Give Books
At the playground, Lulu asks her friend Sam if he wants to play with her. Sam likes Diggers, while Lulu thinks Monkeys is the best game. Sam suggests playing under the castle, but Lulu knows that the top is the most fun. They just can't agree! And then Lulu asks, "Have you ever played Ladybug Girl?"
As Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, Lulu and Sam save the playground from hairy monsters and big mean robots, and have their very own parade on the bouncy dinosaurs. They figure out that when they work together, they can create fun games that they both like to play.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
In this story, we start to see the little control freak that Lulu actually is. The kid always wants things done her way. I did enjoy the inclusion of some other children (it seemed a little less weird than a preschooler dressed like a ladybug wandering around alone with her dog), but the characters are so one-dimensional that you can't really tell them apart (without illustrations, it would be impossible). I also question the wisdom of encouraging kids to use pointy sticks as "stingers" to poke their enemies.
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Overall: 3.4 out of 5
Ladybug Girl at the Beach
by Jacky Davis
illustrated by David Soman
Date: 2010
Publisher: Dial
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: We Give Books
Lulu loves the beach. Well, she's never been there before, but she knows she will love it. And then she sees the ocean and it is big and loud and rough. That's okay -- Lulu wanted to build sand castles and fly her kite with Bingo anyway. But while they are building their sand castle, the sneaky ocean comes in and tries to steal Lulu's favorite pail. This is a job for Ladybug Girl!
Lulu conquers her fear of the ocean when she remembers that Ladybug Girl can do anything, in this gorgeously illustrated companion to the popular series.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
This was actually the last of the books that I read, but I think it was my favourite. There weren't any other children to speak of, so we didn't have to see Lulu bossing anyone around. I liked the message about overcoming fears, and I was glad to see that Lulu's mother was (for once) supervising her child. I also thought the father was hilarious; he goes with the family to the beach, but you never see his face. At the end, he doesn't even drive home... the mother does! I guess lying around on a towel with his face hidden all day tuckered him out.
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad
by Jacky Davis
illustrated by David Soman
Date: 2011
Publisher: Dial
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: We Give Books
Lulu is so excited for the Bug Squad to come over for a playdate, and she has all kinds of things planned for them to do -- right down to eating cupcakes. The cupcakes are special because each one has a candle that Lulu thinks everyone should blow out at exactly the same time.
But when things don't go just the way Lulu planned, feelings are hurt and apologies are necessary. Sounds like a job for Ladybug Girl, who knows how to be brave and say she's sorry, even when it isn't easy.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
This book was probably the most annoying of the bunch. While I did like the Bug Squad (comprised of a ladybug, a bumblebee, a dragonfly, and a butterfly), the way Lulu dominated the other children was irritating. While she did eventually learn a lesson after hurting Kiki's feelings, it almost seemed too little, too late.
Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 5/5
Originality: 2/5
Enjoyment: 2/5
Overall: 2.8 out of 5
Overall, the stories are not that great. If you can stand the main character, you'll probably be okay with these. The only book I can really recommend is Ladybug Girl at the Beach. While the illustrations are super cute, I wish there had been better stories to go along with them.
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