What the Ladybird Heard

What the Ladybird Heard

Illustrated by Lydia Monks

She saw two men in a big black van,
With a map and a key and a cunning plan.
And she heard them whisper, “This is how
We’re going to steal the fine prize cow. . .”

But Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: she has a plan of her own.

“Classic Julia Donaldson rhyming text makes this farmyard tale bound along” – The Bookseller

“… a terrific and witty adventure told in Julia Donaldson’s trademark rhyming couplets.  Lydia Monks’ original and stylised farmyard fits the story perfectly.” – The Guardian

Julia says ...

This was one of the stories included in my show, “Gruffalos, Ladybirds and Other Beasts” which we performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015. Here we are in rehearsal – Malcolm is Lanky Len on the left.

You can click here to watch me telling the story and Lydia doing some drawing on “Julia Donaldson and Friends”, and here to see Malcolm and me singing the What the Ladybird Heard song. We’ve also recorded the song more professionally and you can hear this version on streaming platforms such as Spotify.

There’s a play version with tips for staging your own production.

What the Ladybird Heard won the Stockport Schools Book Awards and the Royal Mail Book Awards