Ladybird, Ladybird

Two Lovely Little Ladies. Surely Nothing is Wrong Here.

Wheeler has arranged the traditional Mother Goose rhyme and set it to music. The accompanying illustration repeats the theme of childhood innocence and femininity. Even the name Ladybird evokes femininity. The close-up scene is in a beautiful, peaceful, garden. Ladybird is perched on a large white blossom growing on a bush with lush green leaves. A sweet-faced little girl is posed in profile. The halo of green leaves surrounding her head and the perch for the ladybird form a diagonal frame, emphasizing the line from the girl’s eye to the ladybird. The girl exemplifies the wide-eyed innocence adults like to imagine is typical of childhood, with her big brown eyes, peach toned skin, rosy cheeks, soft brown wavy hair, turned up nose, and red pouting lips. We can only see the top of her rich brown colored dress on which rests a delicate, gold, heart shaped necklace. Both hands are held up pointing index fingers at Ladybird, as if to scold her, but not too forcefully. It is more likely as, in Rackham‘s interpretation, that she is repeating the rhyme because the insect is a talisman. The position of her small hands with short-cropped fingernails suggests femininity, delicacy, and gentleness. Her disposition is every bit that of a little lady, just as lovely and delicate as the little Ladybird sitting on the blossom.