The Legend of the Ladybug
The Legend of the Ladybug
In medieval France, a plague of voracious insects is destroying the crops. To stop the resulting famine, one young girl must call upon her courage—and upon the Blessed Virgin Mary—for nothing short of a miracle. In this poignant legend, learn how the ladybug came to have its name as you share in the faith journey of Brigitte, a child who has so much to give despite all that she has lost.
The legend as told by Maria Illich leads the reader though this period of history, the ladybug’s role in saving the people, and the courageous faith a of a young girl. The Legend of the Ladybug will capture the hearts of all who read it and endure for years to come.
Additional Information
ISBN: 978-0-9763294-8-0
Hardcover: 30 pages
Published: 2019
About the Author
Maria Illich is an educator and writer who resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband Greg. In addition to The Legend of the Ladybug, she authored The Morcant Twins & the Curse of the Griseum, a Young Adult novel nominated for a CYBILS Award as well as a Silver Falchion Award. Maria is a graduate of the University of Saint Thomas in Houston where she was the first recipient of the Susan T. Scanlon Award for Creative Writing. In addition, she earned an undergraduate degree in English and graduate degree in education from UST. She currently teaches middle school English and literature at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School.
About the Illustrator
Katherine Illich is a 2D animator, illustrator and conceptual design artist. After graduating from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston Texas, Katherine earned a degree in fine arts from the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design in Denver, Colorado. In addition to The Legend of the Ladybug, Katherine also illustrated the cover art for The Morcant Twins & the Curse of the Griseum. Katherine resides in Denver, Colorado.
Reviews
“Maria Illich’s lovely version of the ladybug legend takes modern readers back to an age of miracles. A young girl who has lost her mother not only finds Lady Genevieve wonderfully restored in spirit but also recovers her father’s love and saves the whole people he has grievously neglected, all through the simplest and humblest of means. Doubling the wonder of the story itself is the author’s collaboration with her daughter, Katherine Illich, whose illustrations bring Brigitte and her family vividly to life—not to mention the miraculous ladybug.”
—Dr. Glenn Arbery, President of Wyoming Catholic College and author of Why Literature Matters
“An exquisite retelling, and re-imaging, of a medieval Catholic legend that will thrill children and adults alike. Word and image blend perfectly to conjure a world in which fear is overcome by faith, despair gives way to hope, and true Christian love triumphs over all.”
—Louis Markos, Professor in English and Scholar in Residence, Houston Baptist University; author of On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis.
“In this beautiful short story, The Legend of the Ladybug, Maria Illich skillfully describes the true nature of charity which spreads and multiplies from one generous heart to another and makes life fulfilled. Wherever charity is present, either in acts done or received, there is true joy, peace, and unity. I hope and pray that many more stories of this kind will be written to teach the life of virtues and to give noble examples to the generations of today.”
—Sr. Theresa Josephine Do, OP, MA