What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday

Written by Julia Donaldson

Narrated by Alexander Armstrong

With a whole host of noisy zoo-animal characters to meet and even a cameo from the Queen, What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday is a fantastic rhyming adventure from stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks – perfect for listening to at home, in the car, at bedtime, or any time at all!

One fine day, in the middle of May,
The ladybird went on holiday.

Those two bad men, Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh, are back! They may be in the city instead of the farm, but they haven't changed their thieving ways. In fact, they're even more ambitious. They're planning to steal a monkey from the zoo and use it to pinch the Queen's crown. It's a pity for them that a certain crime-busting ladybird is holidaying in the very same city . . . and she's got a good idea that will ensure the dastardly pair won't get away with it!

With slapstick action, zoo animal noises, and a special appearance from the Queen's corgis, all read aloud by actor and comedian Alexander Armstrong, What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday is a story you'll come back to time and time again.

Enjoy more What the Ladybird Heard adventures: What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard Next, What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside and What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Jan 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035043538

Julia Donaldson

Julia Donaldson has written some of the world's best-loved children's books, including modern classics The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child, which together have sold over 25 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over one hundred languages. Her other books include Room on the Broom, Stick Man and Zog, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, The Hospital Dog, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie and the hugely successful What the Ladybird Heard adventures, illustrated by Lydia Monks. Julia also writes fiction, including the Princess Mirror-Belle series, illustrated by Lydia Monks, as well as poems, plays and songs – and her brilliant live shows are always in demand. She was the UK Children’s Laureate 2011–13 and has been honoured with a CBE for Services to Literature. Julia and her husband Malcolm divide their time between West Sussex and Edinburgh.