Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. Sniffing a whiff of picnic food in the air, 100 hungry ants march off in a long line. Soon the littlest ant orders a halt and organizes the troop into 2 lines to speed things up. Next they regroup into 4 lines of 25, then 5 lines of 20, then 10 lines of 10. But the reorganization wastes so much time that by the time the ants get to the picnic, the food's gone. The mismanaged and disgruntled ants react swiftly: "Ninety-nine ants were swarming / from each and every row, / in hot pursuit of one little ant, / who quickly turned to go." The outcome's predictable, but kids will enjoy the bouncy rhyme and the comical portrayal of the ants, while teachers will appreciate the entertaining demonstration of a math concept. The illustrations, which look like linocuts tinted with flat colors, have a distinctive style and a definite sense of humor. A pleasing book by two newcomers. ~--Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Rhymed verse propels a spirited math lesson. "The unexpected pairing of sophisticated art and lighthearted text lends this book particular distinction," said PW. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
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. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.