Lucy Ladybug

The Ladybug’s Lament

By Vicki Chelf

The Ladybug’s Lament

Written and illustrated by Vicki Chelf

Story and songs on Audible: Lucy Ladybug

Lucy Ladybug

The Ladybug’s Lament Copyright © 2021 by Vicki Chelf

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, visit www.BugPeopleProject.com.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the project of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained herein.

ISBN 978-0-578-81520-6 (paperback)

First Edition: January 2021

Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Vicki Chelf Book design by Susan Boothby Story and songs on Audible: Lucy Ladybug

ll was quiet in the garden of the small brick house where Johnny lived. Or, so it seemed.

ecause nestled deep within the

plants was a wacky world of busy bugs.

If you listened carefully, you could hear Gandy Green, the bully grasshopper, taunting Lucy Ladybug.

GANDY GREEN’S RHYME

Na, na, na, na, na.

Lucy’s short, Lucy’s short, Lucy’s short and round.

Lucy’s slow, Lucy’s slow, She’s got nowhere to go.

She can’t run, she can’t run.

She don’t have any fun.

Ha, ha.

Gandy Green hopped up and down repeating his gleeful rhyme. Lucy cowered on a tomato plant crying her little heart out. When Gandy got bored and hopped away, Lucy began to sing this sad, sad song:

LUCY’S SAD SONG

Oh my, why can’t I fly, as high as a wasp?

Ho hum, I don’t have fun, like other girls. They’re so pretty.

I’m stout, poor me. I’m portly and round. When you see me, what do you see? A plump little bug.

A wasp is such a slender thing, dancing with its fairy wings.

With a waist so fine, not like mine. I am just a blob. Oh my, why can’t I fly?

anda Walkingstick came wandering by and said, “Hey, Lucy why do you cry?”

“Because I’m round,” came her reply.

“I want to have a waist like a wasp.”

“It’s easy to be thin. Just eat leaves. I eat all the leaves I want and I’m narrow as a stick,” said Wanda.

As Wanda ambled away, she sang in a country twang:

WANDA’S SONG

I’m Wanda the wanderin’ walkingstick.

I walk and I ramble all day.

I go where my spirit may lead me.

It’s hide and seek that I play.

I’m Wanda the wanderin’ walkingstick.

No bug or no bird do I fear.

You can look, but you never will find me.

You won’t even know that I’m here.

I’m Wanda the wanderin’ walkingstick.

A master trickster – that’s me.

Holding still in the leaves you won’t see me.

‘Cause I look like the branch of a tree.

“Wow,” Lucy thought, “I’m going to do exactly like Wanda. Then, I will be beautiful.” So, she flew up into a bush and started munching on leaves. Before long, she had the worst tummy ache and couldn’t eat another bite.

When Bridgette Butterfly appeared in a flutter, she said, “Oh Dear, what is the matter?”

Lucy told Bridgette her problem, and Bridgette said, “Darling, whoever heard of a leaf diet.” Anyway, why on earth would you want to look like a stick?”

“Nectar is the food of beauty. What you must do is simply stop eating altogether, and drink nothing but the delicious nectar from flowers.”

As Bridgette flew away, Lucy could hear her song:

BRIDGETTE’S SONG

Beauty o’ beauty to thee I sing,

and what is more splendid than a butterfly’s wing?

I’m beautiful darling, It’s plain to see.

What a joy it is to be me!

I’m beautiful – yes – a sight to behold.

Pardon me now if I seem too bold.

I live for beauty – the elixir of life.

In a world without beauty, there can only be strife. Beauty o’ beauty, to thee I sing.

I was even a beauty as a wormy little thing.

his seemed like a good idea. Bridgette didn’t have much of a waist, but she sure was beautiful.

So, Lucy flew to a gorgeous white lily with golden nectar. It truly looked delicious, and Lucy took too many sips before she fell to the bottom of the flower and got stuck!

Try as she might, Lucy couldn’t budge. She stayed there the rest of the day and all night, too. It was the scariest thing she had ever been through.

ophia, the nature deva, was watching from among the lilies. Nature devas are like fairies without wings that live in gardens to help take care of the animals, plants and insects. They are invisible to most humans, but animals and insects see them. Sophia would have laughed if the whole thing were not so sad. Lucy Ladybug was determined to have a waist like a wasp, and Sophia knew it could never be. For now, she watched to see how Lucy would get out of her jam.

The next morning Andrew, Adam, Aaron, and Austin Ant came marching up the stem. Lucy didn’t see them, but she heard the work song that they always sang:

THE WORK SONG

We work in the morning and we work all day. Work, work, work – no time to play. We may be small, yes that is true, there are more of us, than there are of you. Keep your nose to the grindstone, head down low.

Work, work, work – now don’t be slow. March here, march there, no time to spare.

Lift that crumb, don’t be a bum. Carry it here, carry it there, carry it home for all to share.

ndrew, Adam, Aaron and Austin Ant were surprised to see someone at the bottom of a lily and asked Lucy if she was OK.

“I’m not fine,“ Lucy whined, “I’m tired of being round. I’m stuck and I want to have a waist like a wasp!”

“That’s easy,” said the ants in unison. “All you have to do is work! Look at us, we all have great waists. It’s because we work so hard. We will help you.”

From his petal perch, Andrew Ant began ordering, “Go here, go there.” He shouted, and the other ants tirelessly tugged on Lucy until out she came with a PLOP!

ucy was more miserable than ever.

All hope was gone. She had tried everything to have a waist like a wasp, and nothing changed.

Dejected, she crawled back to her favorite tomato plant and looked longingly at the tiny, juicy aphids that she so loved to eat.

ohnny, the boy who lived in the little brick house, went outside to work in his garden and noticed his tomato plants looked drained and droopy. “Oh no, my tomatoes look sick!”

He broke off a leaf and took it to Miss Melanie, his teacher. Miss Melanie examined the leaf and told him that the tomatoes had aphids, and that the plants would die unless these bad bugs were brought under control.

She told him that in a healthy garden, there would be ladybugs eating the aphids. “If you find a ladybug, your garden will probably be OK.”

Of course there was a ladybug in the garden, but she certainly had not been eating aphids. Lucy Ladybug had become so obsessed with getting a waist like a wasp that she hadn’t eaten in days.

hen Johnny got home from school, the first thing he did was go to his garden to look for a ladybug. Searching through the leaves, he saw Lucy.

“I found a ladybug!” He shouted, as he jumped for joy. He placed Lucy on the tip of his finger. “You are the most beautiful bug in the whole wide world,” he told her.

She jumped onto Johnny’s shoulder and whispered into his ear, giving him instructions to get a glass jar, carefully poke holes in the lid, and place inside several tomato leaves, complete with aphids. He didn’t know about nature devas, so he thought it was his own idea. Then, ever so gently, Johnny slid Lucy Ladybug into the jar so she could eat her favorite, healthy food.

ucy couldn’t believe her ears. “Someone thinks I’m beautiful!” Now, Deva Sophia could help.

Johnny took Lucy Ladybug to school and showed his teacher and class. Everybody agreed that Lucy was the prettiest bug they had ever seen with her shiny wings and pretty spots. Lucy was so happy! Miss Melanie used Lucy Ladybug as an example of how nature is perfect in its balance and wisdom. She told Johnny to put the ladybug back in the garden so she could go to work saving the tomato plants. Since Lucy had given up eating aphids, there were more than ever. She started to eat, and boy, did they taste good! “I will always be short and round, but at least I will be healthy and happy.” Then she shyly giggled, “And beautiful in my own special way.”

Lucy Ladybug ate cheerfully ever after, and sometimes she sang:

LUCY’S HAPPY SONG

I’m a happy little ladybug.

I munch and munch away.

Juicy, tiny aphids are what make my day.

I’m red and round with pretty spots.

On a leaf I can be found.

Yes, I can fly, but not too high,

From leaf to leaf I bound.

I keep your garden clean and green.

I’m nice to have around.

fter a while, Johnny brought delicious red tomatoes to school to share with his class, and got the extra credit he needed, thanks to Lucy Ladybug.

THE END

LADYBUG FACTS

PRAYING FOR LADYBUGS

The story goes, that ladybugs got their name in the Middle Ages. Aphids were destroying crops and people were so afraid of going hungry that they prayed to the Virgin Mary. Soon afterward, a swarm of little red beetles came to eat the aphids. They were given the name “ladycow,” after the biblical Mary, who was also called “Our Lady.” Over time, the name became “ladybird,” in England, and “ladybug” in North America.

NOT BUGS...BEETLES

Ladybugs are not really bugs. They are beetles. According to science, the mouths of bugs are like little straws and they mostly drink their food, but the mouths of beetles can chew. Also, beetles have hard shells, unlike bugs.

COLORS AND PATTERNS

Ladybugs come in different colors, like yellow, brown, orange and pink, some have zigzag lines instead of spots.

BENEFICIAL INSECTS

Ladybugs don’t only eat aphids. They protect our gardens by eating other insect pests, too. In nature, insect pests are kept

in check by other insects, such as ladybugs, birds and animals. Insects are an essential part of our ecosystem and many species of insects are endangered.

LADYBUGS IN DANGER

Like many insects, ladybugs are disappearing. Insecticides, herbicides that kill native plants, large fields of one type of crop, habitat loss, pollution, traffic and climate change all upset the natural balance.

WHAT CAN KIDS DO TO HELP?

GROW A PLANT...OR TWO OR THREE Plant something! Even if you live in the city, you can have a few pots on a balcony or porch. Many urban areas have community gardens in vacant lots. If there are no community gardens or available vacant lots, you can start one at a church or school. If you have never gardened, you may think that it is hard to do, but actually it’s easy if you know what to do. Most states have organizations that help people learn about

growing plants in their area. In many communities, there are local farms and garden clubs where you can meet people who like growing plants.

ASK FOR HELP

People who garden usually love to teach others. Sometimes, it’s as easy as asking a neighbor for advice. Nurseries and local garden centers can also be helpful. Older people, like your grandparents, often know a lot about gardening and would love to teach you.

GROW NATIVE AND YUMMY PLANTS

Choose flowering plants that are native to your area. They will be easier to grow and be more beneficial to the local insect populations. Also, try growing something that you enjoy eating, even if it is as simple as a pot of basil or parsley. Grow your garden with compost and natural fertilizers, and please don’t use pesticides or herbicides.

HEALTHY FOOD FOR HAPPY HUMAN PEOPLE

Human people are lucky to be able to eat lots of different types of foods. Fresh colorful veggies, sweet juicy fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds are the healthiest foods for human people. Even

kids can learn to cook and enjoy delicious and nutritious homemade food.

BOOKS BY VICKI CHELF

Vicki’s Vegan Kitchen

Eating with Sanity, Compassion & Taste Square One Publishers

Garden City Park, NY 2011 Pulp Kitchen The Cookbook Square One Publishers Garden City Park, NY 2016 Superfood Nuts

A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Walnuts, Almonds, Pecans, and More Co-written with Connie Diekman Sterling, NY, NY 2017

VICKI CHELF

Vicki overcame dyslexia and an eating disorder to become a cookbook author and professional artist. She has written a dozen vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, published in two languages, and is author of what may be the first vegetarian cookbook published in French. She has exhibited her art in the U.S., France, England and Canada, and is a graduate of the Ringling School of Art and Design. She lives in Sarasota, Florida with her husband, John Lambie, and her cat, Bixby. Her backyard is a permaculture garden where mangoes, lychees, sugar apples, papayas, figs and lots of yummy veggies grow.

Photo by Susie Chinn, Susie’s Paradise Portraits

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Bug People Project was inspired by an actual dream. Almost 10 years ago, I woke up hearing “I’m a bug, I’m a bug, I’m a big, big bug, I’m Gandy Green, I’m big and mean,” recited by a little grasshopper jumping up and down. The words and tune stayed with me and developed into the story, “Gandy Green, Big and Mean.” Then Lucy Ladybug appeared and the story practically wrote itself.

I told my friend Natalie Laughlin Tanner about the stories, and she fell in love with them and their message. As a former top model for the Wilhelmina Agency, and spokesperson for the National Eating Disorder Association, Natalie wanted to use the books for speaking to children about self-love and positive body image. Natalie and I are both avid gardeners, and she also saw the importance of teaching children to love and appreciate our natural environment. Her young children modeled for the illustrations of Sophia and Johnny. She read “Lucy Ladybug” to classes at her daughter’s school and to children at Girls Inc. Natalie’s reading brought the stories to life.

After being rejected by numerous publishers and agents, I abandoned the project for several years. Then, just as the first

book appeared in a dream, the idea to self-publish came to me in a meditation. Rafael (Ruffus) Silva, an amazing Brazilian musician and Berklee graduate, became part of the project purely because he believed in it. When the pandemic shut down live performances Rafael had the time to focus on Bug People. He took my simple songs and story and turned it into something marvelous!

Of course, the book and the audio can be enjoyed separately, but together, they are magical! I want to thank Rafael for creating art out of an idea, and putting his heart into the project. If Natalie did not believe in the Bug People so long ago, the project would have never came to fruition. I thank you and I love you both.

I would also like to thank all my friends who have believed in the project and helped proof read, edit, and advise. A special thanks goes out to Melissa Manzanares and to Kimberly Stocker Ceballos. Last, but definitely not least, Susan Garrabrant went far beyond the duty of a graphic designer. She loved the story, understood my vision and added her own good design and editing skills.

ENDORSEMENTS

Bugs rule the world. And humans need insects to keep our planet healthy. This series by Vicki Chelf will inspire kids (and their parents) to love bugs -- this is a great family read/ listen/enjoy!!!

Margaret (Meg) Lowman, Ph.D. Director, TREE Foundation National Geographic Explorer

Adjunct Professor, Arizona State University Research Professor, Universiti Sains Malaysia www.treefoundation.org | www.canopymeg.com

This is a WONDERFUL book for kids. It has a fantastic message that resonated with me in more than just a few ways. The story teaches the importance of self love and acceptance while also demonstrating that we should show respect and kindness towards others, even for our natural environment. Lucas loved that part the most!

Pamela Collado Mom to Lucas/Educator

B.A. Secondary Education, Spanish (DePaul University, Chicago, IL) M.ED Curriculum and Instruction (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA)