What the Ladybird Heard Next is a rhyming picture book by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Lydia Monks, and a lively farmyard adventure in the What the Ladybird Heard series. Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len are out of jail and back with another plan, this time aiming to steal the fat red hen, but the small and quiet ladybird has heard every word and begins to form a plan of her own. The story combines animal sounds, repetition, slapstick humour and a light mystery structure, making it easy for young children to join in while following the clever twists of the farm animals’ scheme. As a children’s picture book about teamwork, quick thinking and standing up to trouble, it gives young readers a playful way to see how even the smallest character can change what happens next.
Author: Julia Donaldson
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Publication year: 2017
Number of pages: 32
Target age: 3–6