One Hundred Hungry Ants [Hardcover]

Elinor J Pinczes (Author), Bonnie MacKain (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 29, 1993 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

One hundred hungry ants march off single file to sample a picnic, but when the going gets too slow, they divide into two rows of fifty, then four rows of twenty . . . until they take so long that the picnic is gone!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A first-time author and illustrator are off to an impressive start in this spirited story, whose message might well be "divide and conquer." Pinczes's bouncy rhymed verse introduces 100 ants marching in single file en route to a picnic, where "There'll be lots of yummies / for our hungry tummies, / A hey and a hi dee ho!" But the littlest ant decides they're moving too slowly, and suggests a new formation--"with 2 lines of 50 / we'd get there soon, I know." But not, however, soon enough: as he spies other animals scurrying by with food, he fears there will be nothing left to eat. Hoping to speed the pace, he directs his fellow marchers to break into four columns of 25; then five rows of 20; and finally 10 lines of 10. The subliminal math lesson is a bonus for youngsters at the older edge of the intended audience, while readers of any age will relish the unexpected ending. Reminiscent of woodblocks, MacKain's illustrations work superbly on a child's level--the unexpected pairing of sophisticated art and lighthearted text lends this book particular distinction. The comical facial expressions of these ravenous creatures, rendered in unusual and subtle hues, reinforce the tale's winning drollery. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A first-time author and illustrator are off to an impressive start in this spirited story . . . The unexpected pairing of sophisticated art and light-hearted text lends this book particular distinction." Publishers Weekly

A rhyming text describes the progress of one hundred ants marching toward a picnic. To travel faster, one ant suggests dividing into two lines of fifty, then four lines of twenty-five, and finally ten lines of ten. Their frantic reorganization takes so long that the picnic is gone by the time they arrive. The illustrations, which look like linoleum cuts, use a pleasing palette and energetic lines to depict ants with highly individual characters.
Horn Book

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (March 29, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395631165
• ISBN-13: 978-0395631164
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #707,438 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elinor Pinczes and Randall Enos have collaborated together on another book for children, My Full Moon Is Square. Ms. Pinczes is the author of several other books for young readers. She lives with her husband in Bozeman, Montana. Mr. Enos's illustrations have appeared in books, magazines, and newspapers for more than forty-five years. He lives in Easton, Connecticut, with his wife.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, useful, and cleverly illustrated, April 17, 2003

By 

Paula Burch - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Hundred Hungry Ants (Paperback)

My kindergartener and I were talking about money, one day, and he volunteered that he'd learned that ten dimes make a dollar when his kindergarten teacher read "One Hundred Hungry Ants". This book has no discussion of money, but it teaches that 100 equals 2 times 50, 4 times 25, 5 times 20, and 10 times 10, just the right lesson for him at that time. The rhythm of the rhyming works pretty well, and the pictures are very clever, adding a lot of enjoyment to the story. This one is worth reading again and again, if that's the kind of child you have.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Teacher's Perspective, June 19, 2001

By 

Sharon R Lindars (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Hundred Hungry Ants (Hardcover)

What a wonderful tool for teaching multiplication, division, and grouping strategies! The ants march in 1 group of 100, 2 groups of 50, 4 groups of 25, etc. This book is useful and enjoyable for all elementary classrooms. Students love modeling the ants' groups, drawing new patterns, and even writing a new (happier) ending for the story.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars They use this book at my child's school to teach math concepts., March 3, 2006

By 

mommyofchristopher "mommyofchristopher" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One Hundred Hungry Ants (Paperback)

This book was sent home with 100 unifex cubes to use along with the book. We used the cubes as the ants. We started off with one line of 100 cubes (as the ants). Then, in the story, they split into 2 lines of 50, so we split our cubes, too. Then, 4 lines of 25, and so on.... Excellent book to use with the cubes to demonstract how many different ways to make 100.