I Saw an Ant in a Parking Lot

by Joshua Prince, Macky Pamintuan (Illustrator)

With its irresistible rhythm and rhyme, adorable art, and appealing title character, I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track charmed both children and critics. And that irrepressible Ant is on the march again - this time in a parking lot:

not to park, but to find a spot

of sticky soda, crumbs, or what

some careless kids or crows forgot.



But life s not safe for a small Ant in a large lot - because heading for him, sure as shot, is a red minivan. And who sees what s happening? Just the ticket matron, Dot. Can she think fast - before an ant goes SPLOT?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Jen H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not make alot of sense to me and it did not flow together. The author focused more on rhyming words than making sense in the story. Not a fan.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- This is a rhyming story with goofy illustrations, starring a parking lot attendant who rescues an ant who's about to be squished. Humor and rhyming combines with a nice message about caring for even the tiniest and most humble creatures. Kids who like bugs especially will get a kick out of this one, especially the final page.

[Benny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benny: 4 stars
Mom: 4.5 stars

All is calm in Dorothy Mott's lot until a minivan threatens the safety of the ant making his trek.

This isn't my favorite style of illustration but I really enjoyed the rhyme of the story, it was quite charming and clever!

[Kay Mcaloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun reading for my students!

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute book

[Amanda M. Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorites. I first discovered it on a library book shelf about a year ago and found it fun, well paced and cute as hell. I saw an Ant in a Parking Lot uses rhyming to maintain it's pace and lends a great deal of suspense to the series of events that occur. Well worth at least one reading.

[Tam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book. I felt like I was constantly stopping to explain the story to my 4-year old and he's pretty smart for his age (examples: What does it mean to not care a jot? What is a big black plot? What happens when you vanish in a tarry spot? What does dally not mean? What is disaster naught?)

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun tale about a woman saving an ant from being squished by a minivan as he crosses the parking lot. The rhyme is really fun and I had to explain a lot of the language to Asher (five years old) because it had a bygone lilt to some it if (e.g. O faster ant! O tire not! O tire turn unless you blot...)

Excellent illustrations.

[Kristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old absolutely loves this book, as well as "I saw an ant on the railroad track". It's a must read for anyone who loves either 5 year olds or things 5 year olds love.
It's a great read out loud book.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

In rhyme it describes the adventure of this ant who would be squashed by the van if it wans't for Dorothy.
Dorothy Mott, a parking lot attendant, must think fast to save an ant who is looking for goodies right in the path of a minivan.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

2007 - Fantasy

Joshua Prince's book is perfect if you are working on A as in ant in Read Well. During this unit, students are not only exposed to learning about ants, but they are also taught rhyming. I Saw an Ant in a Parking Lot is filled with rhyming words. Very fun book.

[Elizabeth Sandlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is truly enjoyable! The students can laugh at the whole concept of the book while still thinking deeply about its meaning. It reminds me of the idea that "a person is a person no matter how small."

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is told in rhyme though you should read it through a time or two to get the rhythm of it before reading it out loud. I did like the premise of the story: Even an ant matters and should be taken care of. Good ideas for conversation about caring for our world and those that live upon it.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is one that rhymes. I'm not a huge fan with books that rhyme, I did fall in love with the illustrations. The ant is so cute!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as cute as "I Saw An Ant on a Railroad Track," but VERY close.

[Jenna Zarzycki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute! A rhyming adventure that is a lot of fun to read aloud.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rhyming book in which a parking lot attendant saves an ant from being run over. Since I'm not a fan of ants this book didn't hold much appeal for me.

[Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

very cute

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this would be a good book to use with your third grade poetry unit. Although it is a rhyming poem, it shows a different rhyme patter that students could look at when crafting their own poems.

[Mandy Petrocelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my son's favorites. very cute story, clever catchy rhymes. he never tires of it.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder if these books have ever been released with an audio CD. This would be a huge hit with the kids when set to quirky tune. A fun read aloud for sure.

[Jaimee · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute story about saving and aunt from a Van. The idea of the story is very silly but I felt the writing sounded serious. This for me ruined the book all together.

[Readergirl77 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan's favorite part was the flying doughnut.

[Bri Zabriskie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. Fun to read. Serendipitous library find.