Ma Jiang & The Orange Ants [Paperback]

Barbara Ann Porte (Author), Annie Cannon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

When her father and brother are called away to war, Ma Jiang finds a unique way to trap the orange ants that her mother sells in order to make a living.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A story set in long-ago China. Ma Jiang's family earns their living by selling orange ants to farmers who use them to protect their orchards from other destructive insects. The child's father and brothers climb high into the trees to cut down the nests of the fierce biting ants and her mother sells them at market in the rush-mat bags that she weaves. When war is declared, all the men must serve in the emperor's army, leaving Ma Jiang, her mother, and baby brother to fend for themselves. The society discouraged women from learning to climb trees so the family's orange-ant business seems doomed. Ma Jiang is a quick-witted heroine who invents a low-hanging trap after noticing hundreds of ants drawn to a drop of spilled honey. When her father and brothers return home, they applaud her survival skills and creative thinking. Porte deftly blends history and storytelling, including some lovely turns of phrase and subtle humor. Cannon's impressive watercolor, gouache, and sepia-ink illustrations depict the daily life of centuries-old China and capture the changing emotions of the family. A reader's note gives more information on the use of ants in farming both past and present. A captivating tale with a charming heroine who will speak to today's children.
Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. Young Ma Jiang's family make a comfortable living harvesting carnivorous, tree-dwelling "orange" ants and selling them to fruit growers for pest control. When Ma Jiang's father and brothers are conscripted, Ma Jiang and her mother must struggle to make ends meet. Because she is a daughter, Ma Jiang has never been taught how to gather ants, but seeing them swarming around a glob of honey spilled by baby Bao gives her an idea; the ant traps she devises by smearing honey inside rush-mat bags turn the family fortunes around. Cannon illustrates the tale in pale, thinly brushed grays and browns, depicting Ma Jiang and her family realistically, with expressive, clearly drawn faces. A joyful reunion just before the New Year's celebration ends the tale on a happy note, and Porte closes with both explanatory and source notes. Children may be intrigued by this glimpse of an ancient, natural horticultural practice, and while Ma Jiang may not go off to fight like Mu Lan, she displays at least as much ingenuity. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531302415
• ISBN-13: 978-0531302415
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,389,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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