Isobel Finn’s book, The Very Lazy Ladybug, tells the story of a ladybug that likes to sleep all day and all night so never learns to fly. One day the lazy ladybug decides that she wants to sleep somewhere else but can’t go any place on her own so when she sees a kangaroo going by the ladybug seizes the opportunity and hops into the kangaroo’s pouch. When the kangaroo jumps the ladybug decides the pouch is too bumpy a place to sleep and hops onto the back of a tiger. The tiger doesn’t suit her either because of the noise when he roars so she tries a crocodile, monkey, bear, tortoise and finally an elephant but none of the animals she chooses provides a suitable place to sleep.
Written for children ages 3-7, the story is simple with plenty of repetition that young kids love. The illustrations are bold and bright colored. Changes in font style and size add interest and reflect the action that is being described. There is a lot of action: the swishing of the crocodile’s tail as he swims, the swinging of the monkey from branch to branch, and the ambling of the bear before he sits down to scratch. The surprise ending is the perfect finale to the ladybug’s search for a peaceful place to sleep.
To buy The Very Lazy Ladybug from Amazon.com click here.
Karen Meyers