I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A strange and way too wordy picture, book about a musical bug.

Thank you to North South for gifting me a free copy of this ebook for my honest review. This was cute. The message is loud and clear-it's ok to be different and you will find your people eventually. Lady B. Marie is a ladybug who is supposed to be quiet, calm, and lovely. She is quite the opposite--loud, raucous, and carefree--and she turns off a lot of the other bugs around her, even her dad. When they all desert her and she's left alone, a band of punk bugs stumble upon her and see her for her greatness. They bond over like-spirits and music, joining together to rock and roll. The pictures and colors are vibrant. The rhyming writing was a bit complex and awkward on certain lines; to me, it took some of the message away. There would have to be a lot of conversation around what the message of this book is with young children. I don't know why the dad didn't stand by his daughter; that aspect was sad. Overall, it was cute and has a positive message to be yourself unapologetically, even if no one else sees your unique greatness.

This is a fun children's book about individuality! The illustrations are beautiful and compliment the text well. A fun rhyming book for the whole family to share.

Jeepers, I was sucked in by that cute cover, and I suspect many others will be as well.

Instead of being a sweet, quiet ladybug, Jitterbug yearns to rock and roll, though I think she, and the story, could have used a hefty dose of soul instead - reading this was such an empty experience.

If you're looking for a tale about finding yourself, and letting your freak-flag fly, there are much better books out there. Kids may love the eye-popping art, but there's not much of a hook to keep 'em interested.

A ladybug that loves rock and roll? Yes please!!! How fun!!

This is a fun story about how it is okay to be different, even in the face of adversity and those around you just wanting you to be like E V E R Y O N E else [in this case, a nice QUIET ladybug], and how to combat the loneliness that often comes with being different [and with people who don't appreciate rock and roll music ;-) ], AND just how amazing it is to find others who are different but like-minded in their likes as you [and you end up with a very cool-looking Bug Band!!!].

The illustrations for this book are. the. best. Bright, bold, and very colorful, they bring Lady B. Marie and where she lives to life and really adds to the overall story. Kids of all ages will love this for the amazing illustrations, the idea of it being okay to like things that others don't [DIVERSITY is awesome!!!! That is why there is many, many, many, kinds of music, books, movies, etc etc], and the fun, timely story that celebrates everyone.

Very well done and I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kai Luftner, Wiebke Rauers - Illustrator, Marshall Yarbrough - Translator, and NorthSouth Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vibrant illustrations and adorable characters make this a fun and meaningful read for a rocking good story time. A picture book perfect for every collection.

I can’t rave enough about the illustrations in Jitterbug! The bugs are SO fun and well-characterized! My 4 year old likes looking at them, but the story is a little long for him. My older kids enjoy the story AND the illustrations!

Super cute children's story. Wonderful illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc.

This book was very cute! The story of a little jitterbug who liked to sing and play rock n’ roll. She never gave up. The illustrations a very colorful and beautifully done. The rhyming is very fun! I would read this to any age kid.

A classy look at individuality, as a punk-rocking, guitar-playing ladybug gets isolated by all the other bugs in the neighbourhood, due to her raucous taste in music. The artwork is very strong, showing her wilful energy and devil-may-care attitude, and the rhymed narrative is longer and busier than you may have expected. The inevitable beat of the story where acceptance is finally given by all the other critters is a bit brief, but this is definitely a success.

*****EDIT 1/29 after receiving a very kind email from the marketing coordinator!!******
I have been assured that the final print of the book will not have the bolded text, and this was a formatting error in the PDF! This makes much more sense, and I think littles will really enjoy this fun book. There is a good amount of text, but the rhymes are fun and the illustrations are adorable. Changing from 4/5 to 5/5 stars.


This was a very cute read that I can imagine music-loving kiddos enjoying. I was confused by the bolded vs. not bolded words (it wasn't every other, and it didn't seem like a read back and forth situation??) and found it more distracting than anything else.

My daughter loved this one! The illustrations were adorable and really kept her engaged in the story! Such a cute story!

I read this book to my kids, and none of us liked it. It just didn’t grab any of our attention. The introduction stated that this book was a translated version, and I feel like maybe that caused it to be so lackluster. It wouldn’t be one we would read again.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this story. My opinions are entirely my own.

Jitterbug is about a little bug who just wants to rock. Her neighbors don't like it (at first) but she stays true to herself.

A cute book that has a lot of fun words that kids might not have seen before.

The rhyming of this book gives it a lyrical quality that I just love it's great for little kids. The brightly colored illustrations really pop. This book has this amazing story about being true to yourself even when everyone tells you the things you like are wrong because they don't matter and those that take the time to listen and understand are going to like you for you.

If you have a kiddo who loves to rock and read, then this is the book for you! Written in prose, the story of how Lady B. Marie aka Jitterbug went from the different punk rock outcast to accepted by her friends, family, and community.

This truly is a one of a kind picture book that will keep your alt kid’s attention from start to finish.

Lady B. Marie is rock ‘n roll! What a lovely story with incredibly dynamic and vivid illustrations! High high recommend rocking out with Jitterbug

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the e-ARC to read and review. When I first saw the title/imagery, I could immediately picture this book being a whole Thing, with cute plush dolls and music-playing interactive books and all. It's certainly adorable, and lends itself to a whole franchise full of spin-offs and tie-ins, for sure. Love the world of Jitterbug! But the text on its own wasn't what I was expecting. I think telling the story in rhyme is appropriate for the musical theme, but it wasn't lyrical when read aloud, or structured like a rock song by any means. I actually struggled with some of the tricky rhymes, and some of the vocabulary is either really advanced (even for me reading as an adult) or is out of context (because it's not explained or was seemingly chosen just to make the rhyme happen.) I stumbled over words like chagrin, gaily, and such even though I do otherwise know what they mean. - I did belatedly see that I read this book in English and that is a translation, so I'm thinking that adds to some elements not adding up as I'm sure it could otherwise really shine.

What better way to celebrate the start of 2023 than with a picture book that will rock your world-literally! 🎸 Jitterbug is definitely the next picture book that you'd want to add to your bookshelves!

A little about this gem of a read…

Lady B. Marie is not your typical ladybug who is “oh so sweet”. This little jitterbug isn’t about swing dancing either, folks. She’s a born Rock n’ Roller! 🤘🏼🎸 Think double-neck electric guitar and an awesome amplifier to go with that. While this tiny, fearless, yet adorable ladybug loves to jam out on nature’s stage, other neighboring insects are not so enthusiastic about the rock music filling the air. 🤦🏻‍♀️. Nevertheless, LBM shows us readers valuable lessons about never letting the “noise” around you drown out your dreams, and never being afraid to walk to the beat of your own drum (or the strum of your own guitar strings)!

What else to love about this sweet book? ❤️

🎸The bold, electrifying, ultra-detailed illustrations (a hint of digital illustrations mixed with watercolor, airbrush, and chalk).

🎸The hidden silhouettes and backgrounds are splashed with vibrant neon colors, scrapbook pieces, and even newspapers (with what seems like a nod to the author/illustrator).

🎸The delightful and melodic rhyme scheme that is filled with humor, charisma, and lots of wit!

🎸The rich and groovy vocabulary used throughout the entire book (the first page alone has words such as whimsy, flimsy, coarse, and glisten).

🎸The ultimate theme of staying true to one’s self.💯

🎸And last, the fact that this read will you have feeling all kinds of Rock n’ Roll and positive vibes!

Favorite quote from the book:

But rather than let herself feel sad,
She ripped a solo-look out, Dad!
She didn't need a heard or a flock.
All she wanted was to rock!
Her voice in stillness of the wood.
Bearing witness. It felt good!
This was more than glitz and glam.
It was a declaration: "Here I am!"

What a perfect picture book for young readers (and readers of all ages) to enjoy!

👋🏼 A special thanks to @northsouthbooks and @netgalley for the digital ARC.

This is a story with a great idea that sort of went nowhere. It was quite wordy and the rhyming to me read as messy and try hard. I think the illustrations are adorable, but I tried to imagine reading this out loud during my storytime and realized that if I'm bored there is no way the kids are going to stand it. I also didn't feel that this was a story that needed rhyming. I think is need bigger, bolder statements and potentially some fun interactive moments. Cute, but reads to me as a missed opportunity.