Ella

A new twist on the Cinderella story will have little ones giggling into their sippy cups, as a ladybird and her wicked wasp stepsisters go to a ball held in a chandelier. The sense of a parallel world where insects live (unbeknown to humans) in lampshades and pencil jars is captivating – appealing to the secret feeling of children that they inhabit their own universe. The tiny mass of insects teeming underfoot complements childrens’ sense of feeling small and adds to the magic. Delightfully naughty language, (Ella’s bee friend is Ms. Buzzbottom) along with witty puns will appeal to kids just discovering the joy of playing with words.

The illustrations are crazily charming, full of character and humour, complementing the style of the story-telling beautifully. I particularly liked the spread where the artist Pierre tries over and again to capture the image of the beautiful ladybug who left him at the ball, and fails in the attempt.