Ladybug Girl at the Beach

One of the great joys of my life - aside from installing a new clutch in my car - is reading to my daughter, now age 3+. There is just nothing better in the world than getting dedicated reading time just before bed, where we can experience together a book or two. Or four. Always on the lookout for something smart, charming, and - hopefully - instructive, I ran across Ladybug Girl.I know this particular book is one of a series, but this is where I landed first. This book strikes me as charming and well written, containing a timely and meaningful lesson for a girl of my daughter's age: Confronting something scary for the first time. I have seen how my little one learns from others: children at the playground, older classmates at school, even mommy and daddy, still, at her tender age. So I thought this was really good, to show her and be able to talk about Ladybug Girl's experience.The story has Lulu (aka Ladybug Girl) arriving at the beach for the first time, with an enthusiastic - if somewhat unrealistic - idea of splashing and playing in the waves. Until she stands before the loudly crashing surf that all of a sudden seems scarier than she imagined. Saving face, she finds other things to do, avoiding rather than confronting the danger. Ultimately, she is forced to confront the waves when they threaten to wash her play beach bucket into the ocean. Ladybug Girl to the rescue!Her alter ego, Ladybug Girl, isn't afraid of anything. Lulu is thus able to confront her fears and enjoy playing near the waves just as she imagined.The story is deftly told with a light touch. The message gets through without the need for me to say anything, really. My daughter spontaneously asked all the right questions after the story: Why was she afraid? Who is Ladybug Girl? Why was she able to be brave? Other than sparking a rewarding interaction between daddy and daughter, there is something here for me as well. I appreciate the subtle ironies not just in the words, but also in the illustrations: Witness Ladybug Girl seizing her bucket from the clutches of the surf, clearly in the foreground, resplendent with triumph, confidence. But there in the background, subtly but distinctly present, is mother whose watchful and protective gaze has been - apparently - there all along. I caught this and I know my daughter did, too. The message as I see it: a little girl's journey into experience where she can meet challenges and overcome obstacles... in a safe and supportive environment.Personally, I also appreciate the soft but distinct humor of role portrayals. Specifically, I refer to the father here, half obscured by a day's beach gear as he trudges after his family down to the shore. More subtlety and an example of how seamlessly the illustration supports the story: When initially confronted with the waves, they are - and this reflects the little girl's perspective - clearly much larger than she, looming over head and crashing down. As the story progresses, the size of the waves relative to Lulu (Ladybug Girl!) grow smaller and smaller. Or, maybe that's just the tide going out...So, I find the story simple and charming, with a sound lesson that is softly but effectively delivered. The illustrations are likewise charming and pair seamlessly with the narrative. Taken separately, the illustrations are attractively done in watercolour.If other books in this series are comparable, we're sure to be reading more of Ladybug Girl's adventures at bedtime.Highly recommended.

The series just continues to get better and I can't wait for the next ones to come out...And my daughter (3 1/2) just loves it, like Dresses Up, she took this book too to Daycare to share and show everyone, they even read it during their storytime. This book is clearly a new favorite to the list.A day at the beach, what can be better? And while Lulu is all excited and ready to play in the ocean, it turns out to be more scarier then she thought. So while or before Lulu learns to overcome her fear, the book follows all her activities at the beach.I don't want to give away too much of a spoiler, but this book serves well to illustrate the fun that can be had at the beach but a lesson and in over coming fear. I loved the front and back inside panals of illustration before the story actually starts and at the end too.For the few who somehow managed to be disappointed by Dresses Up, you'll find your faith in the series restored with this book.

Ladybug Girl is lovable and fun. My 3 year old (nearly 4) granddaughter loves her! And so do I! A terrific addition to the family library.

My grand-daughter loves these books. Her name is Lucy, which we call her LuLu...same name as the main character in the book. She gets such a kick out of hearing her name when I read the story to her. There are a series of books that I plan to purchase in the future for gifts to add to Lucy's collection. The illustrations as colorful and the storylines are applicable to what little girls sometimes experience with older brothers and life in general.

We really like this book. We got it to go with the little Ladybug girl doll that we were getting my one 3 y.o. daughter. She loved both the book and the doll. Ladybug Girl, the main character, is adorable, spunky and sweet all at the same time. I'm looking forward to getting another of these books and going on another adventure with Ladybug Girl.

We've had this book for a year, and it's still a favorite among all 4 of my kids. Who doesn't love Ladybug Girl?In case you are new to the Ladybug Girl books, I love that they are written so well and really engage the kids. I get sucked into the adventures too. Too many books today are written with poor grammar, or dumbed down as easy to read books. This is written for kids and adults alike to enjoy

My granddaughter loves these books. The pictures are great, especially the facial expressions and the stories all give a good message.

This was a great way to help much nervous little girl be excited for the beach! While she loves the sand (and Lady Bug Girl), the water made her nervous. It's wonderful to see that it's ok to be nervous, but it's also great to try new things. The next time we went, she went in slowly just like Lulu and had a great time!

Loved the theme ring brave with new experiences and going to the each and exploring the summer holidays .The characters are very child friendly and the illustrations add to the beautiful qualities of the book.

"Ladybug girl can do anything!" I bought this book for my 2.5 year old daughter and gave it to her as a gift on a recent beach vacation. She simply adores it (although she is on the young side for it). The illustrations are very sweet and capture a day at the beach just perfectly. The story is beautifully told and fun to read (so many ice cream flavors to choose from!). I even think it has inspired my little one to become more brave. I highly recommend this book, a sweet story with a good message and likeable characters (Lulu and her dog Bingo). I look forward to more books in this series, this was our first.

I bought this book for a 4 year old, and Ladybug Girl is one of her favourite series. She requests to read it almost every day. This book highlights the importance of imagination, courage, and learning to entertain yourself. I recommend it to anyone with little kids in their life.

Cute series of books. 3yo neice's favorite. Shipped very quickly.