Pest in Show

In this zippy sibling story, Jamieson (Olympig!) literally gives the familiar figure of a pesky little brother wings%E2%80%94and six legs. Ladybug, an aspiring diva, is preparing for her Backyard Theater debut and has no patience for her annoying younger brother, Fly, who wants in on the act. "Can I be in your show?" he begs. "Please? Please? Please?" But Fly persists, enlisting help from some spider buddies, and he manages to sabotage Ladybug's singing and dancing while taking center stage with his own routines. For the grand finale, Ladybug and Fly face off in a performance worthy of a curtain call. Jamieson's gleeful homage to Broadway contains several numbers composed by the likes of Earwig van Beethoven and Tim Lice, which blend familiar children's songs with pest-centric lyrics ("We're icky, sticky spiders" to the tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," for instance). The bug puns are spot-on throughout the text and the energetic collage-and-acrylic compositions. Posters on the endpages (advertising "Thoroughly Modern Millipede," "Bugspray," "My Fair Ladybug," and other fare) are a bonus for theater-loving adults. Ages 3%E2%80%935. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management. (May)