Snuggling up on the sofa to share a beloved story or poem with a child is one of the most rewarding aspects of caregiving. The bloggers who’ve reviewed Ladybug and Babybug magazine are parents who know the power of the written word and strive to nurture their children’s love for reading. So far, our bloggers have expressed great delight over both publications by the Cricket Magazine Group.

Ladybug is written for children ages three to six and “delivers a wonderful combination of short stories, brilliantly illustrated pictures and clever poems. Each story in these magazines is engaging and captivating.” Another blogger explains the publication as “part beginning textbook, part children’s book, part chapter book, part comic book.  It’s colorful and has a large font.  And no ads.”

Babybug is written for children three years of age and younger. The ad-free magazine not only contains simpler stories, rhymes and brightly colored pictures but pages that “are like those plastic/wax books from back in the day, and basically impossible to rip,” says one blogger. She also adds that her son “was able to chew on them without ingesting extra, uhm, fiber. Also of note: if you spill something on them, like say, oh, your coffee? Well, it just wipes right off.”

Our reviewers noticed that the staff behind Ladybug and Babybug have “taken great care in packing into each issue many different components that will appeal to child with varying interests.” One blogger also observed that the magazines contain an aspect often overlooked by children’s publications. She writes, “Can I tell you how much I love the diversity depicted on these little pages? That’s important to our family as we fall into a unique category. It’s hard to find books and magazines which depict a wide array of children and families instead of all one color or formation of a family.”

While kids rarely notice details like high-quality, glossy pages, or a tailored publication size. They do appreciate the “georgous illustrations“.

The daughters of one blogger have “really enjoyed looking thru the Ladybug issues.” The reviewer adds that, “It has the same level of short stories Sammie checks out at the library. And it has the same level of activities she might encounter with her schoolwork. As for Emersyn, anything in an issue of Ladybug that has to do with animals, that’s what she wants me to read to her.” Another reviewer relates her story: “To put it to the test, I snuggled into my armchair and asked Dawson to read with me,” mentions one blogger. “It’s safe to say that Ladybug has passed inspection by a very picky child.”  

A year’s subscription to Babybug or Ladybug (9 issues) is $33.95.

There are a few more bloggers that have yet to weigh in on the magazines. Find out what they have to say on these dates:

Thurs 6/12 - Growing a Life and Mid-Campaign Post on PBN
Fri 6/13 - Metropolitan Mama
Mon 6/16 - Creature Bug
Tues 6/17 - The Chunky Purse
Wed 6/18 - Mommy’s Must Haves
Mon 6/23 - Round-Up Review on PBN