Review by Booklist Review
The creator of the inimitable Monkey with a Tool Belt (2008) sends a ladybug on wheels out to gather dozens of friends. Why? Readers will have to wait along with lizard Mike, Randy the toad, an athletic pickle, a gang of log-rolling ants, and a diverse array of other followers to find out, because Bug isn't telling. Showing a deft hand at crafting nonsense verse that sticks to regular rhymes and meter without turning singsong, Monroe brings the parade to its destination at last: It's my Bug Birthday Party! The simple cartoon illustrations, which feature small figures drawn with fine lines and thinly applied dabs of watercolor, culminate in a magnificent outdoor party with games, balloons, cupcakes, a karaoke stage, and much, much more. And the bug? Well, he just had a ball. / Seeing all his friends happy / was the most fun of all. --Peters, John Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A polka-dot dog, ants on a log, an "athletic pickle," a smiling nickel, a bear eating honey, and a skateboarding bunny are among the characters that join a festive cavalcade led by a helmet-wearing ladybug on a bike. Each eagerly falls in line, following the leader up and down hills, across a river, and through a forest, wondering where they are headed: "Where are they riding/ on such a nice day?/ They asked the bug-/ But he just wouldn't say." Monroe's (Cookie, the Walker) cumulative verse reveals a penchant for nonsense and non sequitur, while her wispy cartoons have a manic energy that matches the text's quirkiness and showcases amusing transportation-related details: clams travel in a boat with wheels, a cat and a fez-wearing monkey ride along on roller skates, while the aforementioned pickle opts for a skateboard. The story's energy continues full tilt after the travelers reach finally their surprise destination-the bug's extravagant birthday party, which is chock-full of activities, snacks, and food. This boisterous outing works well as both a read-alone for beginning readers and a readaloud for story time. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-In this kooky cumulative tale, a ladybug on a bike announces, "It's time to go now." A motley parade of friends follows him as he pedals down roads and up hills and through a forest, despite not knowing "where we're going or when we'll be back." Monroe's quirky ink-and-watercolor cartoons showcase small vignettes of the many odd characters, including ants rolling on a log, an "athletic pickle" pumping iron, and a lizard baking pies in an amphibian-shaped kiln. The rhyming verse takes a long, circuitous route to get to the punch line: "Well look at the time./ We're not late, we're not tardy./ It's my Bug Birthday Party!" This rambling adventure sometimes spins its wheels.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A helmeted ladybug rides a bike through a busy neighborhood populated by bugs and animals, an "athletic pickle," a nickel, etc., inviting them all to follow him to a mysterious locale. The rhyming text is pleasing, if somewhat forced at times. Young readers will delight in noticing the myriad details in the quirky, Richard Scarry-like watercolor and ink illustrations. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A fun-filled and humorous picture book about friendship and sharing. When the bug on a bike stops by to pick up Lizard Mike, who is baking pies, readers will know they're in for a silly treat. The bug and Lizard Mike also invite Randy the Toad and scores of others during the course of the story (including carpenter clams in boats, an athletic pickle, a skateboarding bunny and, hilariously, ants on a log) to go on a biking, skateboarding and rolling journey to no-one-but-the-bug knows where. Monroe's rhyming text builds as she adds various critters to the journey. As entertaining as the text is, however, it is the illustrations that steal the show. Singularly absurd in their renditions (the lizard wears madras shorts, the snake dons a tubular blouse), the menagerie all nonetheless manage to look determined and earnest as they follow the bug on a bikewho himself has the endearing focused look of a toddler just learning to ride a two-wheeler. As the journey continues, tension buildswhere the heck are they going? As it turns out, it is to the bug's birthday party. Further silliness ensues as the author details the cavorting (the clams eat "buckets of nachos," and the pickle break dances) at the party. Snappy and exuberant, this rhyming picture book is sure to be a hit in a read-aloud. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
