cover image 1001 Ants

1001 Ants

Joanna Rzezak. Thames & Hudson, $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-500-65208-4

Stylized ants march from their grainy hill and through the forest at the opening of this close-up, visually engaging title. Subsequent spreads approximate a generic woodland, where typeset captions hover between blades of grass, arch along a fir cone, or proceed vertically up a tree. One ant, reminiscent of a Richard Scarry character, always stands apart from her peers’ uniform line wearing two red socks; alone, she climbs a daffodil, greets a caterpillar, and escapes a woodpecker’s long pink tongue. In playful illustrations, Rzezak traces stems and flowers with black lines and stippled dots against a white ground, and tints select plants, bugs, birds, and mammals in froggy green, wheat gold, and earthy brown. Basic observations (“The hare is famous for running fast”; “Owls come out to hunt when it’s dark”) and frequent warnings (“Some mushrooms are toxic, so look, but don’t touch!”; “Beware of ticks! They can bite you”) are less interesting than the facts about ants themselves: “Whoops! An ant has fallen! But don’t worry. It’s very light, so it won’t hurt itself when it lands.” Short on information but filled with captivating imagery, this diversion, originally published in France, suggests an ant’s-eye glimpse of flora and fauna. Ages 3–5. [em](Sept.) [/em]