A Little World of Ants

‘Where will you explore?’ the reader is asked at the end, and this book is sure to empower the child whose world encompasses what they see at their feet or at their fingertips.

This book is a joy from start to finish. Busy fingers will delight in exploring the holes that lead from one (sturdy) page to the next, and lifting flaps to discover ants climbing, cooperating, hiding and building. The text clearly tells us what ants get up to and explanations are simple and informative:on a page where the ants are raiding a human picnic we are told  “…they are super strong. They can carry things much heavier than themselves” as a team of ants make off with a banana skin.

The way in which ants are depicted is interesting: human faces with antennae give the reader an immediate connection, while the scale of the animals and their surroundings keeps this grounded in the lives of real animals. The colours are mostly bright reds, pinks and purples with birds and spiders to watch out for, and a challenge at the end to encourage the young reader and their adult guide (and this reviewer too!) to get out and explore with an open mind and a keen eye.