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Two Bad Ants Hardcover – Picture Book, October 24, 1988

4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 584 ratings

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Two-time Caldecott medal winning author-illustrator Chris Van Allsburg, author of Jumanji and ThePolarExpress, brings his signature whimsical storytelling and dazzling artwork to a tale about two ants on the adventure of a lifetime.

The ants are tired of their humdrum life in the same ant hole, so they’re off to the strange new world of a kitchen in search of sugar crystals for their queen.

But when two ants stay behind and take a nap in the sugar bowl, they are in for a wild ride. Falling into a sizzling cup of coffee and a heated stay inside of a toaster is just the beginning for these misbehaved ants.

Will they ever make it back home?

Chris Van Allsburg’s terrific story about the consequences of disobeying reminds us all that the comforts of home aren’t so bad after all.
 

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From the Publisher

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The Polar Express Jumanji The Mysteries of Harris Burdick Garden of Abdul Gasazi Zathura The Widow's Broom
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Get immersed in the worlds of Chris Van Allsburg In this holiday classic, the Polar Express makes its way to the huge city standing alone at the top of the world, where the boy will make his Christmas wish. This story about a game that comes startlingly to life is a family favorite that inspires imagination and explores the ever-shifting line between fantasy and reality. When Harris Burdick goes missing, all he’s left behind are a series of drawings with captions. Enticed to come up with their own endings, readers will marvel at the mystery behind these lasting drawings and the charm of an ever changing narrative. The very thin line between illusion and reality was blurred the day Alan Mitz stumbled into the garden of Abdul Gasazi. Even after Alan escapes, the spell of Gasazi still seems to penetrate into his everyday world. A companion to the Caldecott Medal–winning Jumanji—this is a tale of intergalactic adventure and sibling rivalry where a roll of the dice transports two brothers to the mythical land of Zathura. The enchanting story of a widow who finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom after a witch falls into her garden.
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The Queen of the Falls The Stranger The Chronicles of Harris Burdick The Sweetest Fig Bad Day at Riverbend The Wreck of the Zephyr
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Get immersed in the worlds of Chris Van Allsburg At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired charm school instructor seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before—she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. The enigmatic origins of the stranger that Farmer Bailey hits with his truck and brings home to recuperate seem to have a mysterious relation to the weather. Could he be Jack Frost? This inspired collection of short stories inspired by The Mysteries of Harris Burdick features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children's literature. Monsieur Bibot was given two ordinary-looking figs as payment for extracting a tooth from an old woman's mouth. He eats one fig and realizes it makes his dream come true. He is determined to control his dreams before he eats the second fig. This provocative story within a story leads readers to ponder the realities of fictional worlds and the lives of the characters who populate them. The story of a boy and his obsession to become the world’s greatest sailor and a storm that carried him to a place where boats sail on the wind, instead of on the water.
9780395486689 image 9780395446126 image 9780395533079 image 9780395320846 image 9780544422834 image 9780547315829 image
Two Bad Ants The Z was Zapped The Wretched Stone Ben's Dream Just a Dream The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie
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Get immersed in the worlds of Chris Van Allsburg The ants are tired of their humdrum life in the same ant hole, so they’re off to the strange new world of a kitchen in search of sugar crystals for their queen. When two ants stay behind and take a nap in the sugar bowl, they are in for a wild ride. A dramatic black- and- white presentation of the alphabet which depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter. In a story recounted through the daily log of Captain Allan Hope, the sailors aboard the Rita Anne become mesmerized and transformed by a mysterious glowing rock, and only music and books can restore them to normal. On a terrifically rainy day, Ben has a dream in which he and his house float by the monuments of the world. Travel with young Walter on a fantastical adventure as he journeys—by way of his bed—into a polluted dreamscape world that wakes him up to our collective and individual environmental responsibility. Being a pet store hamster isn’t much fun for Sweetie Pie, but life in human homes proves perilous. As Sweetie Pie gazes out of his cage at the squirrels frolicking in the trees, he wonders if he’ll ever have the chance to feel the wind in his fur.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this new book by Van Allsburg, twice a winner of the Caldecott Medal, the theme of an outsider's point-of-view (touched upon most recently in his The Stranger ) is expanded. Accustomed to the orderly and uneventful life in the ant hole, all the ants enter the bizarre world of a kitchen in the search for sugar crystals for the queen. Two greedy ants stay behind in the sugar bowl, eating their fill and then falling asleep. Their slumbers end when a giant scoop drops them into a sea of boiling brown coffee. Further mishaps include a heated stay in the toaster, a hazardous swirl in the garbage disposal and a zap in an electrical outlet. When the ant troops return, the two bad ants gladly rejoin their friends and head for the safety of home. In this work, the hazards of nonconformity are clear. The narration has the feel of early newsreels where the broadcaster described unknown phenomena in clipped, clinical language: "A strange force passed through the wet ants. They were stunned senseless and blown out of the holes like bullets from a gun." The resilient ants and the eerie landscapes are portrayed in strong black-and-white images, enriched by deep brown, purple, slate, gold and steely blue colors; Van Allsburg, playing with perspective, creates marvelous contrasts and images. But although Two Bad Ants is visually different from its predecessors, it shares the same strong style, dazzling artwork and whimsy that characterizes all of the artist's work. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5 In this brief tale of the adventures of two runaway ants, Van Allsburg once again gives children a visual puzzle to solvein this case identifying common household appliances from an ant's point of view. When a troop of ants are sent to retrieve sugar crystals from a kitchen, two ants stay behind to feast and go to sleep in the sugar bowl. When morning comes they are successively stirred into a cup of coffee, almost swallowed, toasted with an english muffin, whirled through a garbage disposal, and stunned senseless in an electrical outlet. While some children will enjoy identifying the highly magnified objects, others will wonder how the ants have managed to survive any one of these disasters. The truants return home in one piece, and the last few lines supply a pallid and oddly moralistic conclusion to the story. The book is a visual tour-de-force. The highly linear, hard-edged drawings look like fine etchings which have been magnifieda technique which enhances the sense of being reduced to ant size. The colors applied in flat fields are primarily limited to earth tones and gray, combined with touches of pure white and black in lines and fields of almost luminous intensity. The intensity of the visual experience overpowers the story, which is a flat, rather cold vehicle, an excuse for a visual game which will appeal to the intellect of children older than typical picture book readers. Eleanor K. MacDonald, Beverly Hills Public Lib .
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books (October 24, 1988)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0395486688
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0395486689
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 8 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 780L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.12 x 0.38 x 11.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 584 ratings

About the author

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Chris Van Allsburg
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Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
584 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book awesome for teaching perspective and inference to upper elementary students. They also describe the story as captivating, interesting, and suspenseful. Readers praise the creativity, use of details, and theme. They appreciate the fabulous illustrations and beautiful pictures.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

16 customers mention "Teaching perspective"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book awesome for teaching point of view, inference, and sequencing. They say it's engaging for elementary school and a perfect mentor text for developing schema, inferencing, and text evidence. Readers also mention that the book is suspenseful and children get to make lots of predictions.

"My grandson absolutely loves this book! It’s great to teach sequencing too!" Read more

"...This book also offers a lovely way to consider perspective...." Read more

"...It is great for teaching perspective, point of view, use of details and theme...." Read more

"...Great perspective for readers." Read more

13 customers mention "Story quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the story captivating, interesting, and exciting. They also mention it's suspenseful and a great experience for both the volunteers and the children.

"...It was funny and exciting all at once...." Read more

"...It' a great experience for both the volunteers and the children. My choice of authors is always Chris Van Allsburg." Read more

"...It's a very cute story, very funny. I found it at the public library and just had to buy it for myself." Read more

"super clever and exciting. My kids are mesmerized by it...." Read more

6 customers mention "Creativity"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book creative, clever, and exciting. They also appreciate the striking artwork and thought-provoking plot. Readers mention the pictures work well as writing prompts for middle school classes.

"...The plot and illustrations are thought-provoking and what you might expect from Chris Van Allsburg (Polar Express)...." Read more

"super clever and exciting. My kids are mesmerized by it...." Read more

"A great book by an amazing author. The pictures work well as writing prompts for my middle school classes." Read more

"One of the best children's books I've ever read. So creative!!" Read more

6 customers mention "Visual quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the illustrations fabulous, beautiful, and great. They also say the story is perfect for helping students make inferences.

"This is a classic from Chris Van Allsburg. As always, his illustrations are amazing, and the pictures can be used for an array of teaching ideas,..." Read more

"Pictures were great, and story was perfect to help students make inferences during the read-aloud." Read more

"...Great story and fabulous illustrations!" Read more

"Good book, great art. Now my son wants an ant farm, through. His Mom's not too happy about that." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the value of the book.

"Good price for a book I" Read more

"Good value. Wonderful book!!" Read more

"...Arrived quickly. Great value!" Read more

Splendid book, but sloppy packing ruined the magic
3 out of 5 stars
Splendid book, but sloppy packing ruined the magic
The dust jacket got caught between the pages of the other book during the box packing. Could have been easily avoided.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2024
My grandson absolutely loves this book! It’s great to teach sequencing too!
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2024
If my grandson loves it, that gets 5 stars from me! Age 5
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021
My first grade teacher use to read this to us and i remember being so entranced by it. It was funny and exciting all at once. Haven’t read it for many years now but with my own little ones growing up I thought it would be fun to read it to them. It came in perfect condition and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2020
My Mom battled the ants her whole life and when this book was first published it became a perfect gift for her and a perfect distraction from her constant struggle to keep them out of our house and out of our kitchen. I've just bought this book again but this time for our 3-year old!!! The first time I read this for my wife, we became anxoius about the thought to give it to our boy - it is so scary! But as we reached the end of the story all fears washed away! Both our boys love picture books that make you think and, this one certainly does.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2023
Good price for a book I
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2017
My favorite of van Allsburg's books, it's probably the least pretentious, and is guaranteed to keep your toddler of any age on the edge of his little seat. He (or she) will be rooting for the two ants who, against all evolutionary determination, rebel against the dictates of their race and stay behind to gorge on sugar, rather than deliver it to their queen.

The best part is the world of humans seen through the eyes of the uncomprehending ants, whose adventures take them from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. They barely escape with their lives, quite relieved to rejoin the group and return to serving their beloved queen.

A true modern classic.
7 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2013
My great nephew is 7 years old and his class at school has a secret reader which is a students relative. I knew a few months ahead of time I would be the secret reader for April 11, 2013. I search on line for a great book and the title of the book caught my eye. I read the other reviews and it sounded perfect for his 1st grade class.

It was a hit the children in his class were very tentative with every word I read they loved the book from cover to cover. It was just perfect. It made my day that they were so pleased and my
great nephew just loved it. He was squarming in his seat with excitement waiting to see what was going to happen to the Two Bad Ants.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2014
First, the organization that shipped is top-notch--timely, everything in great condition.
Second, I pull this book out whenever ants appear in our classroom, once or twice a year. It's a good reminder to clean up after ourselves carefully (not just because an adult requested!). This book also offers a lovely way to consider perspective. Children spontaneously suggested what they thought the moral of the story might be, even though a moral is not emphasized in the book. It's a favorite... children love to hear it more than once.

Top reviews from other countries

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Sterling Paiha
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good By
Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2023
A really good read for grade 6 and lower.
Amadan
5.0 out of 5 stars Great pictures and an interesting story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2018
Great pictures and an interesting story, I used it in my school teaching and the children loved it too. You can also see it on Youtube.
One person found this helpful
Report
田中俊子
5.0 out of 5 stars もう手に入らない本です。
Reviewed in Japan on August 30, 2013
村上春樹訳で「2ひきのいけないアリ」として河出書房新社から出版されている本と中身は同じです。オールズバーグの作品の中では絵がはっきりとしていて大きいので、読み聞かせに向くかもしれません。
Alena G.
5.0 out of 5 stars 👍🏼
Reviewed in Canada on June 27, 2018
Another great book by an amazing author. My students get excited whenever I take out a book written by him. I use this book for inferring as well as point of view. Students found this book really funny as well
Mr. P. Girault
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2015
Excellent book. I am planning to introduce this to the yr4 in my school.