Author: Jacky Davis
Title: Ladybug Girl
Illustrator: David Soman
Genre: Picture Book
Subgenre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: Playing Outside and use of imagination
Primary and Secondary Characters: Lulu, Bingo,Lulu's Brother
Awards: None
Publishing Company: Dial Books for Young Readers
Date of Publication: 2008
Brief Summary and How to Use With Students:
Lulu loves dressing up and taking on the persona of ladybug girl. One day when Lulu’s brother goes to play baseball without her, she is left at home with nothing to do. She goes to the library but she can’t read yet so then she goes and measures to see if her plant has grown any. Still bored she goes outside where she finds… Da-Da-Da-Da! A mission for Ladybug girl! Lulu is able to help out hundreds of ants by movie a rock, jumps the “lake”, builds a rock wall, but her brother still thinks she is too little to play with him. She knows though, that she is as big as the whole outdoors.
Ladybug Girl is a fun book for any age. It stresses the importance of imagination and playing outside. This would be a great book to encourage children to play outside and use their imagination. You can have students make up an alter ego for themselves and then write a story on their character. In class you could also grow a plant like Lulu did.
