Ladybug Girl at the Beach

May 10, 2010
Even though Lulu—in full ladybug bathing suit regalia—has never been to the beach, she knows that she’s going to love it. But at the edge of the water, where she’s dwarfed by a curling wave that spills over an entire spread, she isn’t so sure about going in. Luckily, there are other things to do, like building sand castles and getting ice cream on the boardwalk. Davis’s warmly expressive
illustrations capture Lulu’s trepidation and, in the end, her triumphant self-assurance: when her bucket gets drawn in with the tide, Ladybug Girl finally has to confront the ocean. A tender addition to the series. Ages 3–5.

July 1, 2010
Lulu is excited to swim in the ocean--until she sees how "big and noisy" it is. When her sandcastle pail is swept away, Lulu, a.k.a. Ladybug Girl, takes action. Soman's illustrations nicely juxtapose the ocean's diffuse shades with Lulu's red-saturated costume, constantly drawing the eye to Lulu. The text hits all of its points in a way that's a little too on-the-nose.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)