Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug!

April 8, 2013
Effervescent graphics and an engrossing hide-and-seek game make this a diverting book to share. “Yoo-hoo, Ladybug! Where are you?” calls a voice at the start of a series of puzzles. “There you are...” the voice continues, directing readers to full-page collages cluttered with cartoon toys, animals, and objects—from letter blocks and dice to an abstract brown squirrel and giraffe. Amid this array of colors, patterns, and shapes, acute observers may the beetle’s red, black-spotted rear end. A page turn reveals a circular close-up, zooming in on Ladybug, who peeks from her hiding place to smile at readers (“tucked in a box/ with Rabbit and Fox”). Fox’s (Tell Me About Your Day Today) repetitive phrases appear on Easter egg–hued pages opposite Ljungkvist’s cacophonous digital art and punchy palette, whose playroom messiness couldn’t be farther from her compulsively tidy Follow the Line and its sequels. Recurring visual motifs come together in a full-spread finale, including a patterned floor, pink-striped wallpaper, photographs of toy-size Volvos, Beetles, and Mini Coopers, and (of course) one Ladybug. Young children will enjoy mastering this visual game. Ages 2–5.

April 1, 2013
A ladybug that likes to hide drives the action in this cheery, rhyming romp. "Yoo-hoo, Ladybug! Where are you?" This lilting refrain beckons children to hunt for the little beetle amid teeming, digitally rendered household toyscapes. With each page turn, the answering "There you are..." appears opposite a scene strewn with brightly colored objects. Turn again, and the page reveals both a verse answer ("tucked in a box with Rabbit and Fox!") and a visual one, with the grinning ladybug now peeking out from within an enlarged, circular detail from the previous illustration. Ljungkvist includes enough animals, toys and recurring details--blocks that spell out the word "ladybug," a Russian matryoshka doll, a red Swedish Dala horse and many more--to invite plenty of scrutiny. The alternating triple pattern of text on color field, the "clue" picture and the neatly rhymed "answer" page combine for a well-ordered experience that will both entertain and instruct young children. Ljungkvist's pictures pay homage to Barbara Cooney's Chanticleer and the Fox, Leo Lionni's windup mouse and Pat Hutchins' Rosie. Fox's playful rhymes steer young preschoolers along on this very satisfying excursion. (Picture book. 2-5)

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April 1, 2013

PreS-In this seek-and-find picture book, a cheerful ladybug hides in a series of places familiar to young children: a bathtub full of toys, a playroom, a cluttered staircase. Energetic rhyming verses introduce each scene and invite preschoolers to find the beetle. The following page shows a close-up of where it is hiding. The book makes excellent use of white backgrounds to direct attention and provide breathing space. Ljungkvist's digital illustrations are colorful and interesting, but not too busy. They promote comfort and confidence by repeating objects, such as a robot and blocks that spell out "ladybug" in different configurations.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2013
Preschool-K Ladybug loves to hide, begins this brightly illustrated picture book. Luckily for young hide-and-seek fans, she hides in plain sight, but she isn't always easy to find in a picture that's chock-full of toys and household objects. Busy with varied colors, shapes, patterns, and styles, the digital collage pictures challenge the eye to make sense of the scenes. Very young children may have trouble spotting Ladybug on their first time through the book, but they'll soon want to show off their expertise. The book's design intersperses crowded seek-and-find pages with plain white or solid-colored pages carrying a few words of simple text. Acutely aware of how preschoolers respond to language, Fox leads them through the game with a brief, pleasing text. Each challenge begins with the same lilting question (Yoo-hoo, Ladybug! Where are you?) and ends with a short rhyme revealing the answer, such as stuck on the stairs / with a couple of bears! Playful!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)