COUNTING WITH A LADYBUG

Wander with a little ladybug while counting sets of creatures from one to 10.

“One little ladybug” invites readers to “follow her trail” as she crawls along debossed paths that crisscross the thick pages. For each number, the ladybug introduces a new set of animals, each with distinctive indented shapes on their bodies that provide a tactile experience of one-to-one correspondence. Upon arriving at a cramped last page, the ladybug urges readers to “count everyone again,” a task easier said than done given that all the prior animals are now miniscule and difficult to differentiate. From this blasé plot to the perfunctory, strained rhyming couplets, the entire book feels generic. The ladybug heroine remains frozen in a perpetually grinning pose, and the animal sets feel haphazardly chosen, with eight types of insects arbitrarily interspersed with bunnies and ducklings. The multilayered art, a mishmash of flat backgrounds overlaid with clip-art–like graphics and animal photographs, is not unattractive but lacks soul. At least the tactile elements might appeal. The trails and imprints are easily traced by a child’s finger and may help develop fine motor skills. At points, the debossing adds real richness, as with the enticing spiral shells of the “three hungry snails.” But with the adorable mammals, it’s a real disappointment that there are no fluffy tummies.

While the texturing on the pages adds novelty, the book has little substance