Jitterbug
This little ladybug will rock you!
Ladybugs are so cute, small, and fly so gently. Not so for the “Jitterbug”—Lady B. Marie! Her heart beats for rock ‘n’ roll. She holds the electric guitar in her hands, her voice belts out melodies, she sings and grooves like crazy. Papa, Mrs. Snail, and Grasshopper are less enthusiastic about the music and soon the other meadow dwellers leave the scene. She’s just too loud! Does the Jitterbug give up? No! She sings alone on the tranquil meadow—This was more than glitz and glam. It was a declaration: “Here I am!” Right on cue, reinforcements arrive in the form of a colorful band of beetles who want to give a concert on the meadow. The band recognizes Marie’s talent and now the show really gets going.
Word artist Kai Lüftner forges grandiose rhymes—impressively translated into English by Marshall Yarbrough. You can’t help but be carried away by the charm and wit. In addition, Wiebke Rauers creates the amusing world of images for a little beetle that really turns up the amplifier.
Read the interview with artists Kai and Wiebke here!
Translated adeptly from the original German, the rhyming couplets roll forth like song lyrics, which is unsurprising given that the author runs a children’s music project in his spare time. The artwork, with its dramatic and stunning angles, is done in multimedia collage as boldly colored as the hair of an '80s punk band [...] it remains a sweet and simple message about self-acceptance, individuality, and letting your voice be heard.
Booklist
this picture book encourages children to dance to the beat of their own drums.
Foreword Reviews
Peppy pictures will rock you
Kirkus Reviews
Jitterbug is the kind of book that will get kids trying out their own killer dance moves and vocal performances... who knew a ladybug could express so much emotion?!
Kara Cybanski, DC Canada Education Publishing
The audience will root for Lady B. and join in her triumph in the end.
Children's Literature Reviews
Fun book to help kids “Jitterbug” the wiggles and sillies out.
Mollie Mitchell, HearthFire Books
Perfect for every kid who marches to their own drummer!
Anna Brown, Katy Budget Books
A quick moving rhyming story about loving music and loving yourself just the way you are
DK Paul, BaySpray LLC, online bookstore
Lady B. Marie is rock ‘n roll! What a lovely story with incredibly dynamic and vivid illustrations! High high recommend rocking out with Jitterbug
Anastasia Reed, Bookbug Bookstore
