THERE ARE NO ANTS IN THIS BOOK

There are many ants in this book, of nearly as many sizes and shapes.

A grassy meadow seems to be the perfect spot for a light-skinned young picnicker to unpack—but no sooner does the child proclaim it ant-free than a tiny voice calls out from an acorn, “Wrong! There’s one!” No, “TWO!” as the acorn ant is joined by a strawberry-sized South American dinosaur ant. Eventually we meet eight more cousins from, mostly, the Americas: “Big ants. Small ants. Ants with amazing butts.” They all have “HUMONGOUS FAMILIES,” too, as a teeming spread reveals. Aside from giving them small googly eyes, Pirolli depicts each type with salient distinguishing features, and Mosco closes with geographical ranges and other basic facts about all 10. “This book has the wrong title,” the child observes (no kidding) but nonetheless winds up gleefully inviting the entire parade of pismires to join the picnic. Though barely touching the tip of the anthill information-wise, this whimsical work will draw attention to some of the most diverse and successful creatures on the planet and perhaps leave younger readers more inclined to study these ubiquitous insects than step on them.

Make room on the picnic blanket for this convivial gathering.