Ladybug Stories, Poems, and Songs Magazine for Young Kids and Children July/August 2015

It is the hottest day of the year. Max has found his daddy's old surfboard. Kate makes an ocean with a blue blanket. Max's mommy comes out and rubs their arms and legs with sunblock. Max gets an extra dab on his nose, like a real surfer. Surf's up! Max and Mo ride a big wave. Max spots a shark. “Look out!” he shouts. Luckily, it's a friendly shark—with pigtails! Later, everyone laughs at Max's nose. It's the only part of him that has not turned pink!…

Regina Giraffe built a fine raft From a huge jumble of junk. She tied everything with a big ball of string. Eddie Elephant helped with his trunk. Regina cheered, “Eddie! Our raft is now ready!” Eddie wag-waggled his ears. But hyenas laughed at the jumbled-junk raft, “You fools are staying right here!” “We don’t have a mast,” sighed Eddie at last. “How will we ever set sail?” Regina cried, “Heck! Hoist the sail up my neck! Then please sit and steer with your tail.” “There’s no wind, Regina!” sneered the hyenas. Without wind, well, what could they do? “Regina,” urged Eddie, “come on, now, hold steady!” Then he lifted his trunk and he blew. The jumbled-junk raft proved a seaworthy craft, And they cruised ’round the world without care. Regina…

Mickey followed Grandad closely. Waves lapped against the shore. The flashlight beam caught frothy white traces on the sand. It was a perfect night for a ghost hunt. “I see one—over there,” Grandad whispered in Mickey’s ear. Something small and white scurried across the sand toward the water. Mickey jumped and reached for Grandad’s hand. “Is that a—ghost crab?” “Yep.” Gentle waves splashed the creature. “But it’s not a real ghost, right?” asked Mickey. Grandad squeezed Mickey’s hand. “Nope. It’s called a ghost crab because it only comes out at night. Look!” Caught in the light, the crab left the water and ran toward them. It stopped suddenly. Scuttling sideways, it vanished into the sand. Mickey squinted at the empty spot. “It’s hiding! It’s scared of us!” “Mmm-h'mm,” Grandad nodded.…

Sing, sing of the sun-shine, sing, sing of the rain. Sing of the trees in the for-est, sing of the grass on the plain. Sing, sing of the ocean, sing of bright flowers unfurled. Sing of the snow on the mountains, sing of the beautiful world! Sing, sing of the sun - shine, sing, sing of the rain. Sing of the trees in the for - est, sing of the grass on the plain. Sing, sing of the ocean, sing of bright flowers unfurled. Sing of the snow on the mountains, sing of the beautiful world!…

One summer, when I was little, my baby sister got very sick. My mom took her to the hospital, and my dad took me to stay with my grandma. “Please don’t cry, Robin,” Grandma whispered as Dad’s car disappeared around the corner. I tried not to, but tears don’t always do what you tell them. Grandma hugged me tight. She wiped my eyes. “Come with me,” she said. She led me around the house, to a corner of the garden. And there it sat, like a giant, upside-down ice cream cone covered in bright white blossoms. The blossoms nestled between heart-shaped leaves sprouting from vines that snaked up tall poles. The vines clung to the poles with little curly threads. Grandma carefully unwrapped one thread from the pole and wound…

Cut out all the fish cards. Cut out the die below and fold on dotted lines to make a cube. Glue or tape the seams. To play by yourself, spread all the cards faceup on the table and roll the die. When the die says “go fish,” take one little fish card. When the die shows a part of the big fish, pick up the matching card and put the big fish cards together like a puzzle. The game ends when you complete the big fish. How many little fish do you have? To play with a friend, photocopy the big fish cards and color them yourself. Add the new cards to the game, and take turns rolling the die. Who can catch the most little fish before one of…