How to Walk an Ant by Cindy Derby
Published by Roaring Brook Press on March 26th 2019
ISBN: 1250162629
Pages: 40
Goodreads

How to Walk an Ant is a humorous and very educational book by Cindy Derby. Amariyah, a little girl with messy black hair and paper-white skin, describes her nine expert steps for how to walk an ant. The story is filled with slightly dark humor (Amariyah gives instructions for how to have an ant funeral and a caption on the back lets the reader know that “seven ants were harmed in the making of this guide”) that will appeal to older preschool and elementary-aged children.

The illustrations feature grey and white hazy backgrounds with characters and ants drawn over them in sharp, spiky, frenetic black ink. Splotches of color, such as Amaryiah’s green shirt, pink cheeks, and colorful leashes (for the ants) liven up the visual.

Some readers may struggle with the font that the book is printed in. Modeled after a child’s handwriting, the words share a similar spiky, shaky quality with the illustrations.

Purchase where humorous and dark books are in demand.

Reviewed by Sarah Cropley, Scarborough Public Library.