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review by Haemi Balgassi Ladybugs for Loretta Make Room in the Fridge for... Ladybugs??? by: hkb (Fri Jul 14 '00) Pros: educational and entertaining plot; memorable heroine Cons: none Ladybugs for Loretta by Lois Wickstrom, illustrated by Francie Mion To describe Loretta as merely mischievous might be an understatement. One thing's for sure; the young heroine of author Lois Wickstrom's picture book Ladybugs for Loretta is not boring. Loretta likes to stir things up. In the spring, during garden planting time, she's been known to "put the empty seed packets in the wrong places to confuse the squirrels." In the summer, she likes to hide in the pea vines and savor raw peas, and make "jungle noises so people would be afraid to come near her...." Apple trees (and anyone walking below) aren't safe from Loretta in the fall. Yes, Loretta is "very mischievous" spring, summer, and fall. But, winter finds Loretta "the most mischievous of all." It's in winter that she finds the ladybugs... hundreds of them, in deep winter sleep. What does she do with them? Why, she brings them home, of course. Loretta knows that ladybugs are good for gardens. When her mother informs her that the gardens have no use for ladybugs in wintertime, Loretta decides, "We'll just have to save them for Spring!" But the warmth of her family's cabin soon stirs the ladybugs from their winter sleep. To keep the ladybugs together and still during the winter months, Loretta needs to find a cold place for them. The family's refrigerator meets the ladybugs' needs nicely. Problem solved? Not exactly. Loretta, being no ordinary girl, sets out into the woods every day to turn over rock after rock, intent on unearthing more ladybugs. Soon, her refrigerator holds so many, there's no room for any more ladybugs... never mind the food! Undeterred, Loretta comes up with a solution. Ladybugs for Loretta is a winning combination of entertaining story and accessible science lesson. Young readers will come away with an appreciation for, and understanding of, ladybugs, thanks to the enthusiasm and imaginative spirit of the book's extraordinary young heroine. While Francie Mion's two-color ink sketches do a good job of illustrating the plot, Loretta bursts to life from the text itself. Ladybugs for Loretta is an excellent choice to bring nature and science to life for young readers. To learn more about Haemi Balgassi and her books, visit: http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/balgassi/ To read her wonderful story of Peacebound Trains, visit: http://korea50.army.mil/peacebound/index.html This review originally appeared at: http://bookreviews.epinions.com/book-review-141B-31C54EC-396F656D-prod1 |