Ten Little Ladybugs

My 16-month-old daughter loves the book, Ten Little Ladybugs. She always claps on the last page. Here's a summary:

Ten little ladybugs sitting on a vine, along came a butterfly- then there were nine.

Nine little ladybugs skipping on a gate, along came a caterpillar-then there were eight.

Eight little ladybugs looking up at heaven, along came a bird- then there were seven.

Seven little ladybugs resting on sticks, along came a grasshopper- then there were six.

Six little ladybugs flying near a hive, along came a bumblebee- then there were five.

Five little ladybugs sleeping by the shore, along came a fish- then there were four.

Four little ladybugs climbing up a tree, along came a turtle- then there were three.

Three little ladybugs drinking up dew, along came a duck - then there were two.

Two little ladybugs basking in the sun, along came a frog- then there was one.

One little ladybug sitting all alone, along came a breeze- then she was HOME! (this is when Elyza claps ;)

Though the book has nothing to do with adoption, it has everything to do with adoption for me. When you read the book for the first time, you're sad to discover that the ladybugs, while minding their own business and just hanging out together with the other ladybugs, are swept away, one by one, by these odd-looking creatures, with beaks, feathers, wings, and gills. You don't know if the ladybugs have been gobbled up by the duck, frog, fish, etc., held for ransom, relocated, or what...until you get to the end of the book and discover that the last ladybug is home...and so are all the others. The last illustration shows all the ladybugs, happily playing with all of their new "family members" in their new home. A very positive adoption story or at least that's how I choose to interpret it.