Ant, Ant, Ant! An Insect Chant [Hardcover]

April Pulley Sayre (Author), Trip Park (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2005 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: American City Series

Insects take center stage in this follow-up to the wildly popular, Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant). Whether you love bugs or hate'em you won't be able to resist chanting this rowdy text. Bold and clever illustrations turn creepy-crawlies into hilarious, endearing creatures that will make even the most hardened non-bug-lover laugh and loud. And budding entomologists will love the end matter, chock-full of factual information about insects.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3–In this companion book to Trout, Trout, Trout!: A Fish Chant (NorthWord, 2004), an ant and 59 other American insects appear in a catchy chant that jumps, flits, and flies across flashy spreads. Two-spotted Stinkbug, White-lined Sphinx./Tiger Moth, Underwing, hiding pinks./Cockroach, Earwig./Like them? Can't!/Firefly, Flower Fly, Ant, Ant, Ant! The garishly colored digitally produced caricatures with grossly exaggerated features are not for the squeamish, but will entertain with their humor. The stinkbug gives off a green gas. The dung beetle keeps a roll of toilet paper on hand. A thrip goes waterskiing. The text and illustrations are a natural pairing for exploring the insect world. Curiosity about the odd but real names can be satisfied by short informational paragraphs at the back of the book. A lively addition for insect units.–Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"In this companion book to Trout, Trout, Trout!: A Fish Chant, an ant and 59 other American insects appear in a catchy chant that jumps, flits, and flies across flasy spreads...The text and illustrations are a natural pairing for exploring the insect world. Curiosity about the odd but real names can be satisfied by short informational paragraphs at the back of the book. A lively addition for insect units." -- School Library Journal

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: NorthWord Books For Young Readers (September 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559719222
• ISBN-13: 978-1559719223
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #496,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

April Pulley Sayre loves the sounds of animals and the sounds of words. She is an award-winning author of over 55 natural history books for children and adults. Her read-aloud books, known for their lyricism and scientific precision, have been translated into French, Dutch, Japanese, and Korean. Her picture book VULTURE VIEW, illustrated by Steve Jenkins, received the Theodor "Seuss" Geisel Honor from the American Library Association. STARS BENEATH YOUR BED: the Surprising Story of Dust, received the AAAS/SB&F/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books and was named an ALA Notable. ONE IS SNAIL, TEN IS A CRAB was an ALA Notable and received Britain's highest literacy award. THE BUMBLEBEE QUEEN marked her third win of the John Burroughs Award. Sayre and her husband Jeff have followed lemurs in Madagascar, pursued army ants in Panama, and eaten piranha in the Peruvian Amazon. Mostly, though, they garden for wildlife and munch blueberries at their home in the Midwest.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A zany set of bug drawings and facts, August 12, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ant, Ant, Ant! An Insect Chant (Hardcover)

Ant, Ant, Ant! (An Insect Chant) receives Trip Park's fun drawings as it follows up on the popular Trout, Trout, Trout! (A Fish Chant) to provide a zany set of bug drawings and facts. Yes, insect facts are included within the zany set of insect identification - and Trip Park's large-size and unique color drawings are quite vivid, adding to the excitement of a top pick.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Goofy Fun and Educational To Boot! - a review of "Ant, Ant, Ant!: an insect chant', June 29, 2009

By 

Pam Tee "Busy Mom" - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ant, Ant, Ant! An Insect Chant (Hardcover)

My two kids -- boy and girl; currently 7 and 9 -- have been pouring over Ant3 every chance they get, sometimes getting into a tussle over who is going to hold the book, or what page they should study. And despite the sometime raised voices, I couldn't be happier as the book is not only entertaining... it's EDUCATIONAL!

The lyrics in this book essentially serve to name the insects in a fashion that helps kids (and adults) to remember their names. (Here's an example.)

Cockroach,

Earwig.

Like them? Can't!

Firefly,

Flower Fly,

Ant,

Ant,

Ant!

I know they don't look like much printed out like this, but if you combine the chants with Trip Park's playful drawings they take on a life of their own. In fact, if you take a look at the picture below, you'll see what I mean. The artwork manages somehow to be both physically accurate and yet preposterous and funny.

And I know the book works as an educational tool because my daughter's already identified a Click Bug based on the picture and description. [This picture --graciously supplied to BooksForKids-reviews by the publisher and Mr. Park-- is one of my favorites. It's sans text if you're wondering.]

Wrap Up:::

An excellent book that can introduce young children to a broad range of insects. The chants name the critters, while the illustrations and the 4-page 'dictionary' make the book both fun and educational.

Both of my children are using the dictionary at the back to find out more about the insects. Here's what you'll find in the entry on Flower Flies: Flower flies, which are flies, are important pollinators. They feed on pollen and nectar. This is a great kid-friendly answer that's not overly detailed, but just right for youngsters.

Ms. Sayre also is wise enough to guess what questions are likely going to pop up in kids' heads. For example, about Earwigs: Earwigs don't hide in ears or wigs. These nocturnal plant-eaters hide in leaves, bark, and other crevices during the day. They pinch attackers with their two cerci or give off a stinky-smelling liquid.

Fear Factor: The insects aren't as sweetly goofy as some of the fish were. Some indeed seem a little menacing -- which my 7 year-old son thought was cool. That said, some toddlers and preschoolers might possibly be put off. You'll just have to test and see if the time is right.

The Accelerated Reading designation for "Ant, Ant, Ant: An Insect Chant" is a generic "2" which means that the book is written on the 2nd Grade level, with no precise month assigned.

Pam T~

mom and reviewer for BooksforKids-reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 year old loves this!, November 18, 2007

By 

A. Butryn (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ant, Ant, Ant! An Insect Chant (Hardcover)

This along with Trout, Trout, Trout have been two favorite books around our house recently. My son is 5 and thinks this book is great. He especially loves the part about the dung beetle. The fun rhyme introduces children to a variety of insects, and the pictures are super. It's very educational and fun at the same time.