Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy Hope Morrison Davis, Jacky . Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy; illus. by David Soman. Dial, 2009 32p. ISBN 978-0-8037-3339-8 $16.99 Ad 4-7 yrs Playground politics are at the core of the continued adventures of Ladybug Girl (introduced in Ladybug Girl ), also known as Lulu. Scoping out the busy playground scene, Lulu spots Sam from her music class and approaches him as a potential playmate. She and Sam make several efforts to find a game, but none are successful ("'You don't want to do anything I want to do!' 'And you don't want to do what I want!'"). Then Lulu remembers how much fun she has pretending to be Ladybug Girl and invites Sam to join her play; with his yellow and black [End Page 317] striped tee, he declares himself Bumblebee Boy, and the two happily play away the rest of the afternoon, even bringing a few more friends into the mix. Lulu is an intrepid little preschooler, full of vim and big ideas, and her shiny red wings and big personality will attract lots of young listeners. Unfortunately, what should be a light-hearted tale is bogged down by preachy lessons in negotiating relationships and working through problems. While the dialogue between the children is authentic, there is a definite adult filter on the internal commentary ("Lulu's cheeks are getting hot. She is very frustrated! Why doesn't Sam want to play?"). Aside from the kids' limpid, manga-style eyes, the line and watercolor illustrations have a demure, slightly old-fashioned feel, their gentle domesticity reminiscent of David McPhail. Lulu's red getup, complete with a pair of wings, a red tutu, and red and black polka-dotted cowboy boots, dominates an otherwise mostly mellow palette of pastels and soft washes. While audiences will likely prefer perky protagonists less weighted down by adult didacticism (such as the heroines of Kann's Pinkalicious, BCCB 7/06, or O'Connor's Fancy Nancy, BCCB 2/06), Lulu's confidence and cheerful attention-seeking may win her some friends in the audience as well as on the playground. [End Page 318] Copyright © 2009 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois