special report

LADYBUG Magazine
"the magazine for young children"for children ages 2 to 6

Submission specifics from their Guidelines

LADYBUG is part of the Cricket family of magazines so their style is a bit more literary than HIGHLIGHTS, despite being similar in some content. LADYBUG buys both stories and poetry. They are not really a nonfiction market though I have seen activities (like crafts or paper cut-outs or games) in the fold-out that forms the back cover of the magazine.
Their guidelines list their manuscript needs as:

Fiction: read-aloud stories, picture stories, original retellings of folk and fairy tales, multicultural stories. Length: up to 800 words.
Rebuses: [note: A rebus is a story where concrete nouns have pictures on the page to help children “read” the story. These stories usually have few characters and few concrete nouns that are repeated in the story.] Focus on concrete nouns. Length: up to 200 words.
Nonfiction: concepts, vocabulary, simple explanations of things in a young child's world. Length: up to 400 words. (Be prepared to send backup materials and photo references—where applicable—upon request.) [Note: I’ve seen very little material in Ladybug with a strong “nonfiction” feel to it.]
Poetry: rhythmic, rhyming; serious, humorous, active, from a child's perspective. Length: up to 20 lines. [Note: LADYBUG poems can include mild similes and metaphors -- dandelions like buttons on the lawn, dancing snowflakes. They can also include humorous elements that are unrealistic.]
Other: imaginative activities, games, crafts, songs, and finger games. See back issues for types, formats, and length.

An exact word count should be noted on each manuscript submitted. Word count includes every word, but does not include the title of the manuscript or the author's name. LADYBUG pays on publication. The Cricket group prefers to buy all rights or nonexclusive reprint rights.

Submissions Editor
LADYBUG Magazine
P.O. Box 300
Peru, IL 61354

Specific editors at the magazine:
Editorial Director and Editor: Alice Letvin
Assistant Editor: Jenny Gillespie
 

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

LADYBUG
March 2009

All pieces are illustrated with full-color art.
Inside front cover - page 2: "Ladybug, Muddle, & Thud" In this comic-strip style piece, a ladybug and a dinosaur dressed like a ladybug are blowing around…apparently from March winds, but the real culprit turns out to be the sneezes of another character.

"Max and Kate" by Mick Manning. A long running series. In this story, Max and Kate learn about what happens when the wind blows a tree over.

"What is It?" by Estelle Feldman. A riddle poem about the wind.

"Mrs. Cat’s Hat" by Valeri Gorbachev. A story about a cat whose hat blows away, only to become a home to a tiny family.

"Mousey Housey" by Maggie Moran. A picture activity poem where the reader is invited to spot messes in the mommy mouse’s house so she can tidy up.

"Song for the World" by Mary Catherine Johnson. A song about different weather and things found around the world. 4-lines. Includes music.

"Yoga in the Garden" Simple yoga poses that imitate animals (butterfly, spider, snake and mouse) for children to try.

"The Secret Seed" by Allan Wolf. A poem about the mystery in a seed, includes illustrations with captions to get the reader involved in really looking at the pictures.

"Spider’s Riddle" by Jan Fields. Spider is making something new from silk – three animal friends try to guess what she’s making.

"The Shark Kite" by Jane McAdams. A frustrated little girl learns that sometimes a big fancy kite isn’t as good as something simple and homemade. This was the longest story in the magazine – most seemed to be well under 500 words.

Mop & Family by Martine Schaap. A standard Ladybug feature – a longer graphic story. In this one Justin and Julie’s parents play a fun trick on them about the bean plants they’ve brought home from school.

Sands in the Sea (anonymous). A poem about the poet’s claim to have counted all the sands in the sea and his clever way to respond to doubters. (4 lines)

Back fold out – a cut-out paper flyer.

Back Cover – Molly & Emmett. Another series. In this one, Molly makes a kite with Emmet’s picture on it, and Emmett uses it to prove he can fly.

This page last updated on 01 March 2009