Ladybug

``I am NOT a lady and I am NOT a bug.'' Beginning with the malapropos name for the tiny beetle, the Bernhards steer readers into more scientific aspects of the ladybug's anatomy, life cycle and eating habits. The straightforward text supports saturated, well-labeled watercolor illustrations that fill the page in close perspective--from a bug's-eye view, tiny white eggs sit like boulders on the vast terrain of a leaf. A pale, ugly larva turns black and bristly, then sheds its skin to reveal a new orange pupa that in turn hardens into a case. Out of sight, the wormlike infant evolves into an adult beetle that crawls out one week later. Although this extraordinary metamorphosis rivals the majestic butterfly's, illustrations and text convey facts more than wonder. Still, readers will enjoy comparing patterns of common types of ladybugs and counting their black spots. Except for a diversion into ladybug lore too brief to be meaningful (but prolonged enough to distract the reader), the book maintains its scientific focus. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)