A is for ant illus. by Kate Slater

Dorling Kindersley, 2020. ISBN 9780241435922. 16pp. board book.
(Age: 1-5) Recommended. Young children are in for a treat as they learn about ants in this engaging board book from DK. As is usual for this publisher, the information and artwork is beautifully produced in a most enticing board book. Every young child who has this read aloud will be certain to learn lots about ants, while at the same time, learning the words that start with 'a' (ant, antenna, apple, anthill, air, ant farm, awesome, anteater and amazing). The facts are basic and memorable: 6 different types of ants are illustrated on the beginning double page spread and then a single page is used to give information about specific parts of the ant and what they eat. Children will be fascinated by the idea of an ant farm and I am sure there would be some requests to have one in a classroom or home.
The illustrations are bold and colourful, with some humour being added; for example the long red tongue of the cute anteater will be sure to bring smiles to the faces of children who are listening to the well-structured narrative, which reads aloud very well.
This is a lovely non-fiction introduction to the world of ants, an ideal book for any child who is interested in nature.
Pat Pledger