When I was little, I discovered pill bugs beneath a loose, damp-bottomed brick in our breezeway. Before my mother advised me that they would probably rather be left alone, I was fascinated by their hard shells, multiple legs, and how they rolled up in my palm. While perusing a recent issue of Ladybug, I was surprised to learn that pill bugs aren't really bugs, but are related to sea crustaceans, and that, like fish, they breathe through gills.

Not surprising at all is that Ladybug's editors use reading as both a source of pleasure and discovery to propel each issue of this thoroughly engaging magazine. Its humorous and thoughtful short stories, poems, and songs, outstanding artwork, cut-out crafts, and recurring games and puzzles invite children to wonder, observe, and play, while subtle verbal and visual lessons in empathy, friendship, and compassion thread throughout.