#15- The Ant and the Grasshopper

#15- The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Ant and the Grasshopper

Retold by: Amy Lowry Poole

Illustrated by: Amy Lowry Poole

Holiday House, 2000

28 pages

Traditional Literature

“’You will do well to do as we do,’ said one of the ants. ‘Winter is coming soon and food will be hard to find. Snow will cover your house and you will freeze without shelter.’”

            This story has been retold throughout the ages. The book tells the story of a care-free grasshopper and a colony of hard-working ants. The ants are constantly working to gather food and prepare their home for the winter. The grasshopper never wants to work. He sleeps for most of the day, and then he plays and dances all night. The ants try to warn the grasshopper that he needs to prepare for the winter months. The grasshopper doesn’t heed their advice. The winter months come, and the ants are safe in their house. The grasshopper ends up alone and outside in the cold.

            Poole applied ink and gouache to rice paper using traditional Chinese brushes. The technique she used is a traditional Chinese method. The illustrations are in a double-page spread. Every picture contains bright, exciting colors that capture the reader’s attention.

            This book is appropriate for all ages, but probably should be read to middle elementary grade level students. This story could be used during a lesson on plots. The students could work with a partner to identify and illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of the story. The students could be given a poster board to complete this assignment on, and the posters could be displayed in the hallway.