Genre: Picture Book
Age Level: 5-7
Summary: The Grouchy Ladybug is a cute story of grouchy ladybug who is always looking for a fight. She goes throughout her day from 6:00am to 6:00pm trying to find someone to fight with, whether it be a stag beetle, a sparrow, or even a whale. No matter their size, big or small, she always tells each creature that they are not big enough and she takes flight to find the next creature.
Eric Carle who is the author and the illustrator did an amazing job with this story. First of all, he used die-cut pages for the composition of this book. The pages are cut this way in order to allow the reader to see each of the clocks located at the top of the page. This adds meaning to the text because it shows the reader that the concept of time is being used throughout the book. The illustrations are also very bright which compliments the text and shows the personality of the ladybug.
Reflection: I think The Grouchy Ladybug could be used for so many different kinds of lessons in the classroom. Students could learn the concept of time and following a daily schedule by looking at the clocks as they follow the path of the ladybug. Students could also learn a lesson in manners as they see how grouchy the ladybug is and how polite the other creatures are. I think it would also be neat to use this book to introduce some of the different types of insects and animals portrayed in this story. Not all students are familiar with a stag beetle or praying mantis.
Another idea for this story could include repetition. Throughout this story, "Hey you,", "Want to fight?", and "Oh, you're not big enough!" are repeated on just about every page. It would be a great idea to have the students discuss with each other why they think these words are repeated and what impact it has on the story.
Big Questions: Do you know how to tell time? Why do you think the ladybug is looking for a fight? Is she really looking for a fight, or is there something else? Why do you think the ladybug repeats the same words over and over throughout the story?
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