Jitterbug - (Band of Bugs) by Kai Lüftner (Hardcover)

About the Book

Ladybugs are so cute, small, and fly so gently. Not so for the "Jitterbug"--Lady B. Marie! Her heart beats for rock 'n' roll. Instead of going flower to flower, Jitterbug strums her electric guitar and belts out melodies. But Papa, Ms. Snail, Mr. Grasshopper and many of the meadow dwellers aren't so sure they're fans. Will Jitterbug give up? Told in rollicking rhyme, this story reminds us all to be our own beetle.

Book Synopsis

This little ladybug will rock you!

Ladybugs are so cute, small, and fly so gently. Not so for the "Jitterbug"-- Lady B. Marie! Her heart beats for rock 'n' roll. She holds the electric guitar in her hands, her voice belts out melodies, she sings and grooves like crazy. Papa, Mrs. Snail, and Grasshopper are less enthusiastic about the music and soon the other meadow dwellers leave the scene. She's just too loud! Does the Jitterbug give up? No! She sings alone on the tranquil meadow-- This was more than glitz and glam. It was a declaration: "Here I am!" Right on cue, reinforcements arrive in the form of a colorful band of beetles who want to give a concert on the meadow. The band recognizes Marie's talent and now the show really gets going.

Word artist Kai Lüftner forges grandiose rhymes-- impressively translated into English by Marshall Yarbrough. You can't help but be carried away by the charm and wit. In addition, Wiebke Rauers creates the amusing world of images for a little beetle that really turns up the amplifier.

Review Quotes

"The audience will root for Lady B. and join in her triumph in the end."
-- "Children's Literature"

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

"Translated adeptly from the original German, the rhyming couplets roll forth like song lyrics, which is unsurprising given that the author runs a children's music project in his spare time. The artwork, with its dramatic and stunning angles, is done in multimedia collage as boldly colored as the hair of an '80s punk band [...] a sweet and simple message about self-acceptance, individuality, and letting your voice be heard."-- "Booklist"

"this picture book encourages children to dance to the beat of their own drums."-- "Foreword Reviews"

"Peppy pictures will rock you"-- "Kirkus Reviews"

Fun book to help kids "Jitterbug" the wiggles and sillies out.--Mollie Mitchell "HearthFire Books"

Perfect for every kid who marches to their own drummer!--Anna Brown "Katy Budget Books"

"Jitterbug is the kind of book that will get kids trying out their own killer dance moves and vocal performances... who knew a ladybug could express so much emotion?!"--Kara Cybanski "DCCED"

About the Author

Kai Lüftner was born in East Berlin. An author of books for children and young adults, he is also a musician, audio book editor, and director. Over the course of his career he has published more than twenty books, while his children's music project, Rotz'n'Roll, has enjoyed great success and played lots of concerts. Lüftner lives with his family on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea.

Wiebke Rauers was born in Düsseldorf, where she studied communication design with a concentration in illustration. After receiving her degree she moved to Berlin and worked as a character designer in an animation studio. Since 2015 she has worked as a freelance illustrator of children's books, film, and television. She lives in Berlin with her daughter, husband, and lots of stuffed animals.

Marshall Yarbrough is a writer, translator, and musician. He has translated a number of books for NorthSouth. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughter.