LITTLE BUGGY

Little Buggy’s lesson in flying radiates with encouragement and determination. When the teeny ladybug spreads his wings for the first time, eager to soar through the sky, he quickly realizes that flying isn’t as easy as it looks. Only through trial and error and careful instruction from his parent, does Little Buggy successfully take flight—and then it’s tough to keep up with him. Two amusing snails play additional characters that comment to one another while observing Little Buggy’s efforts. O’Malley’s (You’re a Good Sport, Miss Malarkey, p. 1128, etc.) illustrations create Little Buggy’s world in pen and ink, but it’s the computerized coloring that brings that world to life. Each full-bleed, double-paged spread is lush with amazingly vivid shades of green and brown. The text is enclosed in white cartoon-like bubbles that pop out with great contrast to the rich scenery and because it’s set in large type, some readers will use it to pick out familiar words themselves. While the ladybugs’ bright red-and-orange bodies command attention, it’s the expansive landscape that’s eye-catching and memorable. Young readers will delight in this visual treat as they grasp the inspiring theme and begin to take flight themselves. (Picture book. 3-7)