special report

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

Note: This Special Report first appeared on Janfields.com

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.

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.Ladybug also buys rebus stories up to 200 words. Their rebus stories normally use only two characters, and have slightly less "twist" to the ending than a HIGHLIGHTS rebus story but do have a similar style. Payment is 25¢ a word, with a minimum of $25.
• 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.) I’ve see very little nonfiction in LADYBUG other than an occasional poem that contains facts about the world. Payment is 25¢ a word, with a minimum of $25.
• Poetry: rhythmic, rhyming; serious, humorous, active. Length: up to 20 lines. Unlike BABYBUG poetry, 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. Payment is $3 per line with a minimum of $25.
• Other: learning 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

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

LADYBUG
December 2003

All pieces are illustrated with full-color art.

Inside front cover - page 6: "Max and Kate" This is a regular feature about two young friends and their families. The story in this episode is about the children taking a walk with Kate’s parents. There is a mild joke about Max playing at being a reindeer and Kate pointing out his red nose.

"Polar Bear" by Gail Kredenser. A two-line humorous poem about polar bears and long underwear.

"Polar Bear Vacation" by Bob Morrow. A "sung to the tune of" based on the melody to "If You’re Happy and You Know It." This kind of "sung to the tune of" is quite popular with LADYBUG. In the song, polar bears are acting like people.

"The Hole to the North Pole" by Tim Bascom. A fairly long story (600 + words) about children who dig a hole to the North Pole and end up visited by a friendly polar bear. Written in third person with three children serving equally as main characters.

"Dreamer" by Kurt Metzler. A 16-line poem about dreams -- humorous look at what would happen if your dreams were effected by what you wear to bed. Written in first person.

"Holiday Shopping" a picture puzzle.

"The Seamstress" by Lynne Barry. A humorous 17-line poem about a turtle who makes clothes for animals.

"Lost Dad" by Kelly Shane. A fairly long story (about 500 words) about a little boy who gets lost, but decides it’s really his dad who's lost, so he shares a lot of good advice about what to do if you get lost in a store.

"Dancing Snowflakes" by Mimi Maya. An 8-line poem about snowflakes falling -- sensory rich, though simple. The illustrations make this look like a "movement rhyme" which LADYBUG is quite fond of and often run, though the words don’t lend themselves toward movement quite as well as usual.

"Use Your Head" by Marilyn Kratz. A rebus. Two characters (brother and sister) turn a snowman into a bird feeder. Rebus words used: Ernie, Jan (signified by character pictures), bird, snowman, and 2. Snowman and bird are used frequently.

"Winter Lunch" by Jeanene Engelhardt. A 8-line poem about making a snow "cake" and decorating it with food for birds.

"Mop and Family" by Alex de Wolf. Regular feature -- comic book style story about a big dog (Mop) and his family. In this issue, the focus is sledding.

"Berries" by Edith Cutting. The inside back cover poem -- 4 lines on berries.

Activity for the fold-out back cover was a polar bear paper doll.

This page last updated on 01 September 2008