The Grouchy Ladybug

Not the absolute best from this pair. But, better than SOOO many others. Kids will learn something and be charmed, too !

My four year old loves the engagement of the little flaps within the book. If you loved The Hungry Caterpillar, you will love this one!

My son loves this book. He first saw it in school, but he really can relate to the experiences of the ladybug.

Not only have both my kids enjoyed reading this book over and over again, but I think it is a very interesting book. It allows parents to talk with their kids about right and wrong behavior, about cooperation and conflict, about standing up against bullies. Also, depending on the age of your child, you can teach basic time telling, increasing sizes, the cycle of day to night (from nighttime, to sunrise, to sun overhead at noon, etc.) A very unique book which fosters discussion between parents and kids.

The Grouchy Ladybug is a wonderful Eric Carle book. I love his mosiac illustrations, and the moral he projects. The grouchy ladybug is mean to all the other insects that he meets. He does not want to share the aphids on his leaf with the friendly ladybug. He ends up making no friends at all, and the animals he is rude to are getting bigger and fiercer as the book goes on. In the end the grouchy ladybug ends up on the same leaf he started out on, and shares the aphids.Note to teachers: This is a great book to introduce a unit on insects. Most students probably don't understand what aphids are, and the ladybugs feed on them. You could also incorporate all of the other animals in the text to do a unit on animals. There are so many wonderful teaching oportunities with all of Eric Carle's books, but this is one of my favorites.

Carle's story explores the concepts of time, size and manners through the exploits of one very grouchy ladybug. When it refuses to share aphids with another ladybug, the grouchy insect flies off to pick a fight an hour with a succession of ever-larger animals. Kids will love the way the tension seems to build in the story. Will the ladybug get its comeuppance? Or will it learn to mind its manners? (If you don't remember, you'll just have to read it yourself to find out!)Carle employs his almost trademarked tissue paper and tempera collages to great effect here as he renders more than a dozen different animals. He includes a clock face at the top of each page, to help kids track the passing of time. A good book to read when you or your little one is in a grouchy mood.This is one of those classic picture books that doesn't lose anything in the translation to board book. If anything, it is improved since the die-cut pages hold up a lot better when they are made of thick board.

I am a mother of 3 aged 5,3 & 1 year. All three of my children love this book. They think the Grouchy Ladybug is a silly bug. They enjoy "reading" along with me because the book is so repetitive! Even my one year old sits & listens intently to the pattern. "Ya' wanna fight! " "If you insist..." "Oh- you're not big enough." Repetition is the best tool in teaching to read & Eric Carle books are PERFECT for that! The other concepts he introduces in his books such as TIME & DAYS are helpful in teaching too. GREAT WORK, MR. CARLE!