What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is a children's picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks. It was first published in 2022.

The book tells the story of a ladybird who visits her friend the spider for the festive season. While she is there, she overhears two bad men, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, planning to steal all of the children's Christmas presents. The ladybird hatches a cunning plan to stop them, and in the end, she saves Christmas for all the children.

The book is a fun and festive read, with a catchy rhyme scheme and engaging illustrations. Children will love following the ladybird's adventures as she tries to stop the two bad men. The book also teaches children about the importance of friendship and helping others.

Overall, What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is a great book for children of all ages. It is sure to bring a smile to their faces and teach them a valuable lesson about the true meaning of Christmas.

This book takes young readers into Christmas with a rhyming story that Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks are synonymous for. Seek out the ladybird on every page and meet a spider and its friends. All is not as it seems, when instead of Santa, as they are expecting, it is 2 burglars. Will Christmas be saved?

The book is short and sweet, with just enough mild trepidation to capture the gaze of young eyes and to enthrall their enthusiasm for a book. This is a series many children will be familiar with, starting with - What The Ladybird Heard. Children delight in trying to find the ladybird, thus using their skills of observation and to gasp a small bit when there’s something bad about to happen amongst, what is rather a cute scene, to find comfort in knowing all is well again in the end. The illustrations are perfect at depicting the words on the page. They are bright, fun and just as engaging as the story itself.

This is a book I highly recommend for Christmas stockings or a pre-Christmas read.

Something Christmassy for Julia Donaldson fans

You can probably guess the general storyline (!) Feels a bit like What the Ladybird Heard meets Home Alone which is a pretty decent combination, and full of festive feels.

What The Ladybird Heard, with its farm animal sounds and repetitive language, was a firm favourite with all three of my children when they were toddlers and, even though they are now school-age, they always love to hear a new story in what has become a BIG series. What The Ladybird Heard At Christmas is the fifth title to be published and offers a seasonal take on the original story.

Ladybird is off to a big, old house to visit her friend Spider for the festive season. But villainous crooks, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, are lurking in the shadows and when Ladybird hears their plan to steal the presents out of the children's stockings, she just has to do something about it.

With the usual fabulous illustrations from Lydia Monks and a slight variation in animal sounds, this story, as with the others, offers something both familiar and different. The rather sinister plot of foiling two thieving criminals is kept humorous and light-hearted with the heroic Ladybird devising another clever scheme that brings about a satisfying ending and a win to the true-hearted animals.

Although Christmastime is the setting for this story and an appearance from Santa is evident just from looking at the front cover, I particularly enjoyed the fact that the animals remain the star of the show and the structure we've come to love is enhanced, not over-shadowed, by the festivities. The plot does evoke a slight Halloweeny feel to the story, which felt slightly confusing but certainly doesn't take away any of the enjoyment. Whether you've read any of the other stories or not, this is a great Christmassy picture book to share with your little readers.

Love love love What The Ladybird Heard series. when i saw this i was so excited!
i have been reading this with my friends little ones who love all the colours and all the animals on the farm.
This time it is up to the ladybird to save Christmas from Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh.
The only question is can it be done on time?

The little ladybird who said never a word is as loved as the winning partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks. This festive adventure has the ladybird and a host of her animal friends once again trying to stop Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh from stealing valuable treasures but can they save the day again?

We are huge fans of Julia Donaldson (and illustrations by Lydia Monks) and especially love the What the Ladybird Heard series, by @harpercollinsch . They are some of the first books I ever read my daughter and I now read them to both my children. They flow with such lovely rhymes, tell a great story and always have a beautiful lesson, with gorgeous illustrations to match.

We were so excited to be given the opportunity to provide an honest review for the new Christmas addition to the series. We were so excited, from the moment we saw the beautiful cover, and we’re not disappointed!

This story flows so well, with catchy and fun rhymes throughout. Lanky Len and Hefty Hew are up to their normal shenanigans again and they don’t disappoint. Their effort if hilarious, from start to finish, after falling prey to the ladybird’s clever plan, to save Christmas from the duo’s thievery.

Overall a lovely story, with great illustrations. We think it is the perfect Christmas read, but can easily be enjoyed year round. This is why we think it is perfect for either a gift, or if you are like us and offer a book advent calendar, the perfect addition to the advent gifts! It has now been fully released and is in stores to buy!

Perfect addition to the series - with a seasonal stamp.

I adore this series, both my boys (at the right ages) have also loved them. As more titles have come out, there's been a familiarity to them we've all enjoyed - the same characters, repetition of themes and phrases, but different settings to enjoy.

And now a Christmas Ladybird - yay!! It wouldn't be WTLH without the two idiotic thieves, who STILL haven't learned that crime doesn't pay. The Ladybird has gone away for Christmas, and Len and Hugh have had a brainwave of stealing stockings. They really are a pair of plonkers.

A new crew in this new setting - it's a rather posh house with lots of new animals for the Ladybird to whip into a sneaky team of burglar-repellers.

So just how will she do it this time? As ever, it's very funny as the animals get the upper hand and outsmart the silly humans, with Father Christmas in the background to give the book a festive twinkle.

The repetition has changed a little, but little ones will soon get the hang of the new animals verses, will want to spot the Ladybird, and make sure Christmas is saved!

For ages 2-6.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

My family have been a fan of Julia Donaldson books since the children were little, and we still go back to our favourites even now they are older.

What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is a follow on to What the Ladybird Heard, with all the same charm and engagement as the first. The illustrations by Lydia Monks work so well at bringing the words alive. There are lovable characters and plenty of festive cheer, without it being overly garish or commercial. It's a real joy to read together and I'm sure we'll re-read it again and again.

Another great rhyming story from Julia Donaldson, and the latest in the ladybird heard series. In this festive, but also slightly spooky version, ladybird overhears 2 burglars planning to Rob a house on Christmas eve. Can ladybird and friends stop them?

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. The delightful Julia comes up with another amazin book in the ladybird series. This book is bascially the animal version of home alone and is filled with fun and full of adventure. Definetly going to reread this one around christmas with my younger cousin

As with the other books in this set this is just as brilliant. The pictures are lovely to look at and the text is rhyming and easy to read. Fans of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks will love this just as much as the others in this set. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this brilliant book.

Another fantastic rhyming picture book by Julia Donaldson. This is the story of the ladybird, who saw two theives planning to spoil a families Christmas. With the help of her friends, she made a plan to scare the burglars away. The bright, colourful cartoon pictures will draw any child in and the plot of the story is exciting and captivating for kids!

Another sure fire winner from Julia Donaldson. Lovely rhymes, bright illustrations and a great, amusing story which will really engage and entertain young children. This will make a great Christmas adaptation for tv as has become a bit of a tradition now. Super gift for young children. My grandson is going to love his copy I am sure!

I love reading with my daughter who turned 5 in July and the What the Ladybird Heard books are some of her favourite so she was delighted when we got to read the new book in the series and we wondered what Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len would be up too this time!

The book was a delight to read and she loved it, she read it with me the first night and then to me after that - it was a huge hit with her, and me. The story was lovely, it was written with the style and flow we love and the illustrations, well they are amazing as always from Lydia.

It was a wonderful book to read and share - it is 5 stars from us - very highly recommended!

What the Ladybird heard is one of our favourite book series in our household. Adding the theme of Christmas and the naughty pairing of hefty Hugh and lanky Len what could do wrong, A familiar format and rhyme. The illustrations are beautiful and really bring the book alive.

A festive tale to add to the well loved series of What the Ladybird heard books.

The story is fun, an animal version of Home Alone as some nasty burglars threaten to ruin Christmas and the animal friends unite to stop their plan.

The illustrations are lovely with lots of detail for young eyes to take in.

A great book for young readers to read themselves or to be read aloud at bedtime and a wonderful gift for the festive season.

A fun narrative, presenting what is certainly not the typical Christmas story. A ladybird goes calling on its spider friend (??!!) for Christmas, but overhears two robbers talking of how they’ll clear up the presents once Santa has delivered them. Luckily the house is full of noisy creatures and pets, and they can defend their territory – but the ladybird is someone we never get to hear. In a way it’s only the fact the gifts are to be stolen that makes this festive – the plot could work if moved to almost any time of year, based as it is on the clever and cooperative animals, and not even the colours in the artwork really sell the fact this a seasonal piece. I think it valid if some people think this not festive enough as a result – even if it remains perfectly pleasant and interesting enough for the very young. Three and a half stars.

What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is a perfect festive version of What the Ladybird Heard which will be enjoyed equally by fans of the series and brand new readers. The rhyming story with a festive twist will delight readers - as will the vibrant, detailed illustrations that we have come to expect from the series. My daughter loved it!

I have a fondness for this series. I remember reading it to my nephews when they were small. So, of course, when I saw this, I knew I had to read it.

And this, like all the previous instalments is utterly charming.