One mean ant

Arthur Yorinks

Book - 2020

"Was there ever an ant as mean as this mean ant? Not likely. This ant is so mean that leaves fall off trees when he walks by. This ant is so mean that grapes shrivel when he looks at them. But when this mean ant finds himself lost in the desert and meets a fly that defies explanation . . . well, nothing is the same again. With this first in a planned trilogy, celebrated picture book creators Arthur Yorinks and Sergio Ruzzier team up for a hilariously slapstick tale that will make a raucous read-aloud for any storytime."--Provided by publisher.

Saved in:

Children's Room Show me where

jE/Yorinks
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Yorinks Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Humorous fiction
Picture books
Published
Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press 2020
Language
English
Main Author
Arthur Yorinks (author)
Other Authors
Sergio Ruzzier, 1966- (illustrator)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
54 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 27 cm
ISBN
9780763683948
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Androcles and the Lion meets Waiting for Godot as a decidedly ill-tempered ant suddenly finds himself lost in a vast, barren desert ( Where the jalapeño am I? ). Eventually, he's joined by a fly with a really short attention span for exchanges that involve lots of frustrated shouting (by the ant) and random comments (from the fly): I love waffles, don't you? But then the fly notices a piece of pine needle stuck in the ant's side, and its removal prompts at least a modest brightening of the ant's disposition, along with a muttered thanks. Alas, their budding friendship is likely destined to be a short one, as a third, leggier character makes a sudden entrance with a final page turn. Ruzzier cranks up the narrative's comical interplay with scenes featuring a scowling, choleric red ant and a pop-eyed fly with a clownish nose and goofy grin. Fans of Jon Klassen's mordant fables will form an appreciative, ready-made audience, but the fly's sociability and quick kindness add buoyancy to the episode.--John Peters Copyright 2019 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"Once, there was an ant. A really mean ant," Yorinks (Hey, Al) writes. "He was so mean, leaves would fall off trees when he walked by." Ruzzier (Good Boy) draws the insect in minute, fascinating detail. The ant narrows his eyes, clenches his teeth and makes a fist with one of his four hands. "Hey, you, dig that hole!" he growls, "minding everyone else's business" as he passes. Then, stomping around until he finds himself lost in the desert, he roasts and rages until he's accosted by a goofy-looking fly who's not bothered by having landed in the middle of nowhere: "I'm not lost... I just used to be someplace else, and now I'm here." There's little physical action; instead, the energy comes from Yorinks's hotheaded dialogue ("Buzz off!") and Ruzzier's expressive characters and backgrounds. Though the even-tempered fly shows signs of being able to break through the ant's hostile defenses, redemption is fleeting for the vaudevillian pair. And a surprise ending brings the proceedings to a sudden close that may prove a bit of a shock for those who have gotten into the lengthy story's rhythm. Ages 3--7. (Feb.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review

An irascible ant becomes lost in the desert until an upbeat fly arrives.This ant is mean: "so mean, grapes would shrivel and turn into raisins when he looked at them." He bosses everybody around, too. So preoccupied with this activity is he, the ant finds himself completely lost in the desert. Ranting and raving, he complains that there's "no water in this stinkpot place." A fly lands, and the ant stresses their dire situation, but the cheerful fly's inexplicably immune to the ant's histrionics. When the fly removes a pine needle from the ant's side (not previously visible in the illustrations), the ant suddenly feels different ("good" and "thankful" don't come naturally). The insects exit the desert in tandem, with the fly forging optimistically ahead and the ant yelling warnings. Ruzzier's distinctive cartoon illustrations utilize fine black outlines and pastel-hued washes to render the ant and fly with exaggerated facial expressions and body language. With his beady eyes, twisted antennae, snarling mouth, flailing legs, and diminutive red body, the ant certainly looks mean while the larger, blue-green fly with his gossamer wings and goofy, gap-toothed grin appears an affable, unflappable foil against a background of empty desert and open sky. Readers will delight in the silly antics and wacky wordplay of these unlikely companions just as much as they'll enjoy the conversational, tall-tale voice adopted by the narrator.A zany, hilarious first in a planned trilogy. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.