Julia Donaldson (text), Lydia Monks (illus.), What the Ladybird Heard Next, Macmillan Children’s Books, 25 August 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781447275954
In the sequel to What the Ladybird Heard, bestselling creators Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks have brought their ladybird to life with all its glittery, buzzing and colourful goodness.
The biggest appeal is the vibrant and textured illustrations. They cleverly and magnificently showcase animated characters, scanned materials like wool and cloth, and those kin-aesthetically luring embossed sparkles that demand immediate interactivity with the book. And of course, Julia Donaldson’s wonderfully whimsical, lyrical prose that exudes fun, adventure and wit. The rhyming text flows at a lolloping pace, perfect for the rate at which the action pulls the reader to the end.
Two thieving jailbirds, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len hatch a cunning plan to steal the fat red hen to profit from her eggs. But with the silent hero, the ladybird, on the case, this isn’t going to happen. As the evil men carry forth with their endeavour, one by one the ladybird prompts the birds on the farm – the hen, the duck and the goose- to convince the thieves to pursue stealing the larger (non-existent) egg-laying feathered friend. Their trickery leads the men into none other than a large pile of stinky muck, and they are herded off by the other farm animals and a trail of angry bees.
This is a tale of friendship, teamwork and a good lesson in moral and ethical rights. A highly enjoyable and engaging story with visually and texturally stimulating pictures, What the Ladybird Heard Next will capture the attention of all preschool-aged children for a fun, read-aloud experience many times over.
Reviewed by Romi Sharp