I do love the Smithsonian Backyard series. The illustrations are always gorgeous, and this book's no exception. But better than that, they're excellent examples of science communication for kids. There's nothing cutesy or saccharine about this, which is kind of a feat when your main character is a ladybird. Instead, it's a day in the life of a predator, basically, as the ladybird stalks aphids and is stalked by other creatures in turn. The illustration of the looming ant, in particular, is a clear example of threat, and the necessity of constant effort, as the ladybird is thwarted again and again in its desire to feed and store up fat for winter, is genuinely compelling.

They're great little books.