Two+Bad+Ants

Two Bad Ants Biographical Data: Two Bad Ants Interest Level: 4-8 years old Genre: Children’s Literature Themes: Work Together Author: Chris Van Allsburg Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children ISBN: 978-0395486689 Hardcover Cost: $14.34 Original Language: English Accolades: Three-time Caldecott medalist

Summary: The book begins with a scout ant returning home with a gorgeous and mysterious crystal that he presents to the queen ant. The queen decides that it is the most delicious food she has ever tasted. She sends all her aunts to follow the scout ant to find more of the delicious crystal. The journey is a dangerous one because they have to travel through the forest and climb the mounts in order to find the bowl of crystals. The ants end up in a human kitchen, where the treasure they seek lies in a bowl. Happy and excited to get home, the rest of the ants don’t realize that they have left two ants behind in the sugar bowl. The two ants that stayed behind gorge themselves on sugar from the bowl. In the morning, the two ants are violently woken up by a big spoon that lifts them out of the sugar bowl and drops them into a cup of hot brown water. After nearly escaping being swallowed by a human, the ants fall into a toast and a sink. Terrified and exhausted, the two bad ants begin their journey home. Carrying their crystals, the two ants arrive home safely.

Review: //Two Bad Ants// is a book children will want to read again and again. While the plot line is simplistic, it is filled with the anticipation and adventure children crave. One of the best elements of Allsburg’s story is his use of descriptions and his vivid personification of the ants. Allburg manages to grab his readers’ attention and understanding that the ants are traveling through grass and find themselves in a modern human kitchen without ever actually telling the reader the ants’ locations. The story is told from the ants’ point of view, making the senses, emotions, fears, and adventures completely new to its readers. The personification of the ants allows the reader’s to engage with everything the ants are feeling, whether it is joy while they gorge themselves on crystals or fear of being swallowed; Allsburg’s descriptions uniquely engage the reader’s imaginations. As a book I consistently had read to me as a child before I could read and a book that I continued to read on my own, //Two Bad Ants// gets five stars. The illustrations and plot line are perfect for children.

Analysis of Literary Elements: Character Development: Two Bad Ants It is a commonality between many of Allsburg’s books that characters develop and grow by passing through dangerous and challenging experiences, and //Two Bad Ants// is no exception. As the rest of the ants leave the kitchen, with their backs heavy with sugar, the two bad ants selfishly stay behind to gorge themselves on sugar crystals. After being violently woken up, the ants are sent on a wild ride throughout the kitchen. At the end of the day, the ants are relieved and delighted to be heading home to the calm sanctuary of their big family. The ants are reminded that working together for the betterment of the community is better than working alone. Author Biography: Chris Van Allsburg was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan where boys were supposed to be athletic but Allsburg had a love of drawing. His love for drawing developed into a love for telling stories through the pictures that he drew. “Stories begin as fragments of pictures in my mind. I create a story by posing questions to myself.” Allsburg attended the College of Architecture and Design at the University of Michigan where he majored in sculpture. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1972 and continued his education at the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with a master's degree in sculpture in 1975. After graduation, he set up a sculpture studio. Allsburg has written and illustrated about twenty books. Van Allsburg's drawings have been noted for their use of perspective. He often creates his illustrations from a child’s point of view which appeals to children because it conveys the world as they see it every day. Chris Von Allsburg won two Caldecott Medals for his books, //Jumanji// and //The Polar Express//. He also was the recipient of the Boston Globe Horn Book award for his first book, //The Garden of Abdul Gasazi//, //The Polar Express// and //The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.// He has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996 it was made into the now popular movie.

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