A gentle but fiercely loyal ladybug knight is joined by his faithful herald (a roly-poly bug who gets a little nervous sometimes but loves to loudly tell anyone who'll listen how great his friends are) and his steed/squire (a snail with a surprisingly spacious shell and a love of adventure) in Geisel Award-winning (for Fox at Night) and Caldecott honoree (for Mel Fell, rev. 3/21) Tabor's first two installments of a graphic-novel series for the early-reader set. These small-scale quests are packed with referential jokes and friendly banter as the trio heeds the call of creatures facing trouble, including themselves. It takes teamwork and problem-solving, for example, to stop a hungry chickadee from eating them for dinner. Sometimes it's good deeds that save the day, but sometimes the only solution to a big problem is an exceptionally delicious lemon cake. And you never know when the tale might be briefly interrupted (chapters titled "Interlude") by, for example, a poem celebrating Sir Ladybug in the style of William Carlos Williams. The neat and precise illustrations reflect the warm, understatedly funny tone of the stories, with soft colors and simply but expressively drawn creatures. Tabor's celebration of friendship will have readers joining Pell the Roly-Poly Herald in loudly singing Sir Ladybug's praises. [Review covers these titles: Sir Ladybug and Sir Ladybug and the Queen Bee.] (c) Copyright 2023. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Tabor's (Mel Fell) friend-forward graphic novel series opener is an ensemble comedy starring Sir Ladybug as the proverbial gentle knight who doesn't like big fusses, despite being armored up and sword-toting. He's joined by Pell, a pill bug and overenthusiastic herald; Sterling, a snail steed who is trusty, if slow, and revealed to possess a palatial shell interior; Caterpillar, a bug in distress who appears in a cold open; and Chickadee, who wants to eat Caterpillar because "It's kind of what birds do, you know. Eat bugs." Readers can probably guess that no one is going to get eaten, but they'll be happy to come along for the ride with this crew, whose irreverent banter is chronicled in unassuming but expertly paced digital line art. The story's themes of friendship and acceptance may be familiar, but leave it to Tabor to get there in a wholly original way: via a lemon layer cake so "life-changing" that it knocks the putative villain flat with deliciousness and even inspires a parody of William Carlos Williams's "The Red Wheelbarrow." Ages 6--10. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Mar.)

Geisel medalist Tabor has produced another winner with this darling adventure starring garden-variety critters. It opens dramatically as a caterpillar's phone call is cut off with a cry of "MONSTER!!!" and then cuts to a field of hardworking ants, to whom a roly-poly is speaking. The latter is Pell, herald and best friend of Sir Ladybug, a bashful but noble beetle. The two storylines intersect when the caterpillar's stag beetle friend dashes onto the scene looking for someone to rescue his pal. Off they go, along with Sterling (Sir Ladybug's snail squire and other best friend) to confront the monster, which turns out to be a hungry chickadee. Told in four short chapters divided by comedic interludes, this graphic novel works wonderfully well for both emergent and independent readers. The language is playful and humorous, and it's easy to follow the flow of the panels and speech-bubble dialogue. Simple but adorable line-drawings, such as the diagram of Sir Ladybug's knightly outfit, are splashed with accent colors and fun details. A truly incredible spread shows the interior of Sterling's shell using a cutaway that reveals three floors of furnished rooms, a spiral staircase, and chandelier ("So this is why snails are so slow!" observes the stag beetle). Gentle action leads the story to a very sweet conclusion that will leave kids eager for future adventures.

Sir Ladybug, a shy bug with a sword, enjoys playing video games and baking cakes but isn't the type to turn down a quest. While on a morning excursion with friends Pell (a roly-poly) and Sterling (a snail), Sir Ladybug is approached by a troubled, beetle-appearing bug whose caterpillar friend needs rescuing from a monster. Bolstered by Sir Ladybug's call for courage, the group of friends embark on their journey to face the deadly creature only to find the monster is really a hungry chickadee in search of its next meal. With some creative problem-solving, however, Sir Ladybug and company put things right over the course of the book as new friendships blossom and characters celebrate one another's strengths. The chalky, spring-colored illustrations are accompanied by asterisked notes playfully defining terms such as squire and herald and include opening pages for chapters and poetic interludes. These all work together to create a vibrant, segmented graphic novel that can be consumed in pieces or all at once by early readers as desired. Visual humor, tongue-in-cheek declarations, and knock-knock jokes add to the fun absurdity of a story that subverts the natural phenomenon of a bird eating a bug. The story is comprised of an entirely animal cast, with all characters but Sir Ladybug left ungendered. An endearing testament to the joys of friendship. (Graphic novel. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 1--4--Sir Ladybug and his pals Pell and Sterling are called to a quest to save a caterpillar from being eaten by a black-capped chickadee. Unfortunately, the chickadee is hungry and wants to eat someone, so it's up to Sir Ladybug to use his baking skills to whip up a life-changing lemon cake and save the bug buddies from becoming lunch. Themes of resilience, friendship, and bravery will delight early independent readers and have them cheering for these friends. Some vocabulary may be challenging for the younger end of the audience, however context clues, illustrations, and the occasional explanation should help readers comprehend the story and stretch their vocabulary. The muted illustrations include a lot of white space and are welcoming for early readers, especially those just starting to delve into independent reading. The jokes peppered throughout are a nice touch as well. VERDICT This funny friendship story is an excellent offering for young readers learning to navigate graphic novels independently. A recommended purchase for most collections.--Ellen Conlin