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Les aventures très chaotiques d'une petite coccinelle à la recherche d'une nouvelle maison!Une coccinelle cherche l'endroit parfait pour pondre ses œufs. Mais à chaque fois qu'elle pense avoir découvert l'abri idéal, elle est chassée par des animaux caméléons qui se camouflent dans le décor. À peine se pose-t-elle sur ce qu'elle pense être un tas de branches qu'elle est houspillée par une bande de phasmes furieux. Les épines du rosier se révèlent être des ombonies. La sauterelle-feuille l'envoie tourbillonner au loin. Elle manque même d'être dévorée par un parterre de mantes-orchidées. Alors qu'elle désespère, la coccinelle arrive sur une feuille habitée… par une colonie de pucerons! De quoi la régaler, elle et ses petits. À la fin de l'album, une double-page documentaire présente les insectes rencontrés et une autre permet d'en apprendre plus sur la coccinelle.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
33 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Simler
60 books43 followersIsabelle Simler has written and illustrated over twenty picture books for children. Sweet Dreamers, My Wild Cat, Plume, and The Blue Hour were all featured in the Society of Illustrators "The Original Art" annual exhibition. Plume was also named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book. Isabelle lives in France.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 29, 2024
This is a keeper!
I’ve had this one checked out of the library for a while, too pretty to not read 10x (at least) to the Grands!
The author is the illustrator as well and that’s where her talent really shows. Such beautiful pictures!!!
This is the kind of book you gift someone at a baby shower (along with another of hers, maybe the Blue Hour?).
Very enjoyable to read multiple times to littles (this attribute isn’t easy to find in children’s books, btw. Trust me!).
Highly recommended!
I’ve had this one checked out of the library for a while, too pretty to not read 10x (at least) to the Grands!
The author is the illustrator as well and that’s where her talent really shows. Such beautiful pictures!!!
This is the kind of book you gift someone at a baby shower (along with another of hers, maybe the Blue Hour?).
Very enjoyable to read multiple times to littles (this attribute isn’t easy to find in children’s books, btw. Trust me!).
Highly recommended!
April 25, 2022
A lovely book about the journey of a ladybug as she seeks a perfect place to deposit her eggs. She encounters a variety of fearsome (to her) dangers at each seemingly lush spot which results in her frantically flying on to land somewhere else.
Illustrated in beautiful detail, the story captures one's interest because of the little ladybug's pursuit and also because the reader can spend much time perusing the details and colors so beautifully executed.
Only one item I felt was a little off for children. After a particularly harsh encounter in a tree, she tumbles down. The text reads, "And now she's left reeling and bitter inside, with her wings so terribly crinkled and creased." To me this embittered characteristic which ladybug experiences right before reaching the "perfect spot" addresses a bitterness of ageing (the story is indicative of the lifecycle of the ladybug) is not typical of young children's picture books. It can be read and not understood or it can be explained to youngsters as how some people respond to a harsh life and their circumstances. The book is not ruined by any means, just a small bit that caught my eye. I would read it to a child or grandchild.
I think this is a lovely book and it is beautifully illustrated. I love how the author/illustrator uses details and colors. I previously reviewed books by Isabelle Simler and consider it a joy to do so. Click here to find them: my Isabelle Simler reviews
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
Illustrated in beautiful detail, the story captures one's interest because of the little ladybug's pursuit and also because the reader can spend much time perusing the details and colors so beautifully executed.
Only one item I felt was a little off for children. After a particularly harsh encounter in a tree, she tumbles down. The text reads, "And now she's left reeling and bitter inside, with her wings so terribly crinkled and creased." To me this embittered characteristic which ladybug experiences right before reaching the "perfect spot" addresses a bitterness of ageing (the story is indicative of the lifecycle of the ladybug) is not typical of young children's picture books. It can be read and not understood or it can be explained to youngsters as how some people respond to a harsh life and their circumstances. The book is not ruined by any means, just a small bit that caught my eye. I would read it to a child or grandchild.
I think this is a lovely book and it is beautifully illustrated. I love how the author/illustrator uses details and colors. I previously reviewed books by Isabelle Simler and consider it a joy to do so. Click here to find them: my Isabelle Simler reviews
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
November 11, 2022
A sweet story about a soon-to-be mother ladybug is searching for the perfect home to lay her eggs. However, everywhere she travels, unbeknownst to her, appears to lead to a wrong spot. Other insects have already claimed the area, refusing to share, or looking for a delicious meal. With much more determination, the ladybug continues her quest to find the most perfect spot to lay her eggs, and in due time, she does succeed.
Through this picture book, we get a look into a ladybug's metamorphosis, along with discovering other insects who their camouflage to hide away so secretively. All the while learning of the possible habitats ladybugs would be found at. Translated from its French edition, Vineet Lal captures the words of Isabelle Simler easily to show the adventure of one little bug. Simler's illustrations is a sight to behold on its own, replicating real-life insects in her art while presenting an air of vibrancy in them too.
Through this picture book, we get a look into a ladybug's metamorphosis, along with discovering other insects who their camouflage to hide away so secretively. All the while learning of the possible habitats ladybugs would be found at. Translated from its French edition, Vineet Lal captures the words of Isabelle Simler easily to show the adventure of one little bug. Simler's illustrations is a sight to behold on its own, replicating real-life insects in her art while presenting an air of vibrancy in them too.
May 15, 2022
As a ladybug searches for a safe place to lay her eggs, readers get a bug's eye view of camouflage, metamorphosis, and other natural wonders. Lush, vibrant, exquisitely detailed illustrations. Originally published in France.
March 11, 2024
Gorgeous illustration! Science centric content. Proud that the American version was published from a Grand Rapids, Michigan press.
5yo liked the surprise of hidden creatures.
5yo liked the surprise of hidden creatures.
June 27, 2022
An explosion of color that reveals the mysteries of the tiny animal world, A Perfect Spot details the life of a ladybug as it flits from here to there in an attempt to find a place to rest. Along the way, it discovers that what at first appears to be an empty area is actually teeming with life.
Searching for somewhere safe to lay her eggs, she flies up to a bush and lands on a twig. No one’s there.
But turn the page and all the twigs have turned into bugs.
Stick insects gather, furious and snarling. Scarlet with shame, the ladybug zooms off at once.
Isabelle Simler also gives voice to the stick bugs through speech bubbles that pop up, further emphasizing the change from looking like nobody was around to a place crawling with life. Repeat again and again as the ladybug encounters life among the hiddenness of leaves and branches and flowers until finally finding a good place to rest and lay her eggs.
A Perfect Spot is the perfect book for an early elementary science class. Simler captures the wonder and majesty of the world often hidden to us at our feet or in the trees. The story opens up questions about why insects are made to camouflage themselves or what different kind of bugs exist or any one of a hundred questions little kids have about the world.
The last two panels give a detailed scientific overview of the ladybug and other animals that appear in the book (for those overachievers). Whether a toddler just learning about bugs or an elementary student studying them more closely, A Perfect Spot is attention-grabbing, colorful, and fun.
Searching for somewhere safe to lay her eggs, she flies up to a bush and lands on a twig. No one’s there.
But turn the page and all the twigs have turned into bugs.
Stick insects gather, furious and snarling. Scarlet with shame, the ladybug zooms off at once.
Isabelle Simler also gives voice to the stick bugs through speech bubbles that pop up, further emphasizing the change from looking like nobody was around to a place crawling with life. Repeat again and again as the ladybug encounters life among the hiddenness of leaves and branches and flowers until finally finding a good place to rest and lay her eggs.
A Perfect Spot is the perfect book for an early elementary science class. Simler captures the wonder and majesty of the world often hidden to us at our feet or in the trees. The story opens up questions about why insects are made to camouflage themselves or what different kind of bugs exist or any one of a hundred questions little kids have about the world.
The last two panels give a detailed scientific overview of the ladybug and other animals that appear in the book (for those overachievers). Whether a toddler just learning about bugs or an elementary student studying them more closely, A Perfect Spot is attention-grabbing, colorful, and fun.
March 26, 2022
I adore Isabelle Simler's exquisitely beautiful illustrations! Each new book is a new and wondrous visual treat. A Perfect Spot has instantly joined Plume, My Wild Cat and the Blue Hour as some of my most favorites.
Here a tiny Seven Spotted Ladybug completes her metamorphosis and flies off looking for the perfect spot to lay her eggs. A twig, a rosebush, a tall oak, each looks safe but the instant she lands hidden insects reveal themselves. The tired ladybug finally finds the a safe place and the cycle begins again.
This is a wonderful way to discuss camouflage and the ways insects employ it to stay hidden for safety or to hunt their prey. Each scene is meticulously detailed and the results are as informative as they are gorgeous.
Back matter includes larger illustrations of each of the insects in the story with accompanying scientific information. Did you know that you can tell the age of a Seven Spotted Ladybug by the depth of their color? This is a glorious purchase for any library and sure to delight young readers especially those with a passion for insects.
Here a tiny Seven Spotted Ladybug completes her metamorphosis and flies off looking for the perfect spot to lay her eggs. A twig, a rosebush, a tall oak, each looks safe but the instant she lands hidden insects reveal themselves. The tired ladybug finally finds the a safe place and the cycle begins again.
This is a wonderful way to discuss camouflage and the ways insects employ it to stay hidden for safety or to hunt their prey. Each scene is meticulously detailed and the results are as informative as they are gorgeous.
Back matter includes larger illustrations of each of the insects in the story with accompanying scientific information. Did you know that you can tell the age of a Seven Spotted Ladybug by the depth of their color? This is a glorious purchase for any library and sure to delight young readers especially those with a passion for insects.
October 25, 2022
**This book is being considered as a nominee for next year’s Beehive Book Award for Children in Utah. My review reflects my thoughts as it pertains to that consideration.**
This book kind of skirts the line between picture book and nonfiction. The art is pretty and I like how it presents the idea to camouflage to a young audience. I don't think this is a Storytime book. This is a book to sit and digest the pictures slowly - to see what's hiding and how they're doing it.
Again, this is another one that is made primarily to impress adults (the ladybugs performing the process of making eggs on the title page is a pretty good indication of that, though I doubt kids will pick up on that right away). However, I do think this is one that kids can find enjoyment out of. Especially if they're interested in insects (which is a VERY popular topic among the middle-grade set).
I don't know if I want to include it in the Beehive nominees for picture books next year. I kind of hope that the committee for kids nonfiction has this in their sights. I think it'd fit better there.
This book kind of skirts the line between picture book and nonfiction. The art is pretty and I like how it presents the idea to camouflage to a young audience. I don't think this is a Storytime book. This is a book to sit and digest the pictures slowly - to see what's hiding and how they're doing it.
Again, this is another one that is made primarily to impress adults (the ladybugs performing the process of making eggs on the title page is a pretty good indication of that, though I doubt kids will pick up on that right away). However, I do think this is one that kids can find enjoyment out of. Especially if they're interested in insects (which is a VERY popular topic among the middle-grade set).
I don't know if I want to include it in the Beehive nominees for picture books next year. I kind of hope that the committee for kids nonfiction has this in their sights. I think it'd fit better there.
December 17, 2022
A ladybug searches for somewhere safe to lay her eggs. “In the big, wide world, so lush and green, / a tiny, seven-spotted bug speeds on her way.” She stirs up stick insects that snarl, is attacked by thorn bugs in a rose bush, is shaken and shocked by a katydid in a thicket of trees, escapes from becoming the main course for spiders and mantises in a field of daisies, is pummeled from a tall oak by goat moths and lappet moths, and falls into the most perfect spot among a delectable colony of aphids where she can lay her eggs. Isabelle Simler’s lyrical text and colorful, realistic brush-stroked illustrations invite young readers to observe a variety of arthropods in their natural habitats through the eyes of the little beetle. Back matter includes a double spread about the Seven-Spotted Ladybug and a second one featuring arthropods the ladybug encounters: orchid mantis, thorn bug, crab spider, leaf katydid, stick caterpillar, common stick insect, goat moth, and lappet moth. Isabelle Simler lives in France. (PreK Up)
—NB
—NB
August 25, 2024
This is a translation from the French first published on 2020 and published in the USA in 2022. The double page illustrations are beautiful close up nature scenes depicting the adventures of a ladybug as she encounters other insects on her journey to find a location to lay her eggs. The illustrations are close up and large as I could feel the thorns of the rose bush pricking my fingers. And after the story I was surprised to find a double page spread of the ladybug plus facts about the life cycle of ladybugs.
Then follows a double page spread with brief info about the eight insects included in the story.
Beauty and basic facts in this title.
Then follows a double page spread with brief info about the eight insects included in the story.
Beauty and basic facts in this title.
April 24, 2024
I felt the story of our ladybug began a bit abruptly (what is a metamorphosis the reader might ask), and the anthropomorphizing of this spotted insect looking for the perfect spot to lay her eggs was a story mechanism I am not overly fond of in NF but the many creatures that shoo her away from each chosen spot and the lively illustrations by Isabelle Simler save the day.
March 25, 2022
What a fun way to look at camouflage! Readers are going to be delighted as benign scene changes with a page turn to reveal that Ladybug has again picked the wrong place to lay her eggs. I'm a huge fan of Simler's books and artwork. This one is another stunning success.
October 11, 2022
This is a gorgeous book! It follows a ladybug trying to find a safe place to lay her eggs. The pictures are amazing and I love how jerky the other bugs are to her - kids will like that part. The metamorphosis of the ladybug is also included, which I loved. Highly recommended.
August 14, 2022
Gorgeous illustrations!
October 5, 2022
A great look at a variety of insects
October 18, 2022
The storyline isn't the most exciting, but it is fun to learn all of the insects. The illustrations are amazing with all of the different colors added in.
March 31, 2023
Art 5 freaking amazing stars
Story 4 stars
How did I not know that ladybugs went through metamorphosis? #thingslearnedfromchildrensbooks
Story 4 stars
How did I not know that ladybugs went through metamorphosis? #thingslearnedfromchildrensbooks
January 27, 2024
A great little educational book about bugs with detailed and dynamic illustrations. I wish the text were a bit larger for read aloud purposes, though!
September 22, 2025
Oh, this was fun! Readers travel with a ladybug who is looking for the perfect spot - but instead finds many different camouflaged insects!
January 21, 2026
A poetic, yet informative look at how a ladybug will lay their eggs in a seemingly quiet world that is a lot busier than one might think. Extras at the end allow the story to grow with the child.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews