Little Ladybug's Favourite Books

My Daughter and I have a traditional like many parents to read endless books before bed.  It is hard to limit my daughter to a handful of books to read before bed but a couple of our favourites are: "What the Ladybug Heard", "The Singing Mermaid" and "Sugarlump and the Unicorn" written by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by Lydia Monks. 

While I was pregnant was my daughter, my sister gave me the book "What the Ladybird Heard".  During my pregnancy, I would often read this book to my unborn child and enjoyed the story of "the ladybug said never a word" until the night when she saw "two men in a big black van, with a map and a key and a cunning plan" to steal the fine price cow. The book is very easy to read and Emma has lots of fun finding the ladybird on each page.  Lydia Monks' illustrations are very clever how it uses photographic elements to add texture to the illustrations but our favourite part is the glitter.  Glitter elements are used on every page and just add a very special feeling to the book.  Emma loves to run her fingers over the glitter and follow the ladybird as she flies through the book. 

Once we have finished with "What the Ladybird Heard", we then read "The Singing Mermaid" where we meet "Mermaid" as she joins Sam Sly's circus.  There is more fun glitter elements and the rhyming words flows off the tongue.  Recently Emma has noticed that several characters from "What the Ladybird Heard" are also in the "The Singing Mermaid".  She keeps yelling "cat" every time she discovers the orange cat that keeps the mermaid company at the circus.  I look forward to taking this book the the beach during this summer and see if we can find the singing mermaid.


Another fun book by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks is "Sugerlump and Unicorn".  This book is equally easy to read and the illustrations are as charming and fun as the other books.  This is the story of Sugarlump that is rocking house until the day when he wishes that he could trot.  The magical unicorn appears and grants him his wish.  As Sugarlump continues to wish for a different life until he finally finds the life that makes him a happy horse.  The reason that I always chose to read this book last is because the surprises that you can discover within the illustrations.  Since this book is also illustrated by Lydia Monks there are several character from "What the Ladybird Heard" and "The Singing Mermaid" that can be found in this book.  I smile when Emma finds the Ladybird, farmer and prize fine cow.  You turn the page and there is Sam Sly and the Singing Mermaid. 

There are several other books written by Julia Donaldson and Illustrated by Lydia Monks that I look forward to sharing with Emma in the future.

** This is not a sponsored book(s) review.