Ant Cities

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Arthur Dorros, Arthur Dorros

Did you ever wonder where an ant goes when it disappears into an anthill? Underneath the hill, there are miles of tunnels and hundreds of rooms! With simple, easy-to-understand words and colorful illustrations, Arthur Dorros explains the life of a harvester ant for the early reader and even shows readers how to build their own ant farms!

This is a Stage 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. Let's-Read-And-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Supports the Common Core Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, 2nd Grade, Nature

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Calista]

This is a little non-fiction book on ants that they used on Reading Rainbow. I have to say that the facts and information is really good and it's interesting to see how the ants live. They did a great job writing the story and making it interesting. The artwork does let you see inside the hill and it does it's job, but the artwork is horrible. I feel its still a good book, but I wish the artwork was better. It would just help make it better.

The nephew has had an ant farm one Christmas. He thought this book a little slow, but he remember the ant farm and he thought that was fun. He said he learned what they were doing now.

I want to know, how they keep the water out of the mound when it rains. The main tunnel goes all the way to the bottom. They most block up the hole somehow.

[Manybooks]

Maybe I am being a bit too harsh and overly condemning with my criticisms regarding Arthur Dorros’ 1987 non-fiction picture book Ant Cities, but I nevertheless do stand by my textual annoyances and frustrations with the latter and for a number of in my opinion quite legitimate reasons.

For one, and first and foremost, although with Ant Cities Arthur Dorros certainly does provide his young readers (and/or listeners) with very much interesting and generally sufficiently engagingly penned basic details and general information about ants (regarding their physiologies, how they live, what they eat and how ant cities, how ant colonies can be both small and also of course gigantically humongous), I have unfortunately also found that Dorros is in my opinion being more than a trifle too vague and wishy-washy regarding in particular ant classification (in other words, I for one certainly rather majorly want and require a bit more specifics in Ant Cities on what actually makes ants insects, such as information on exoskeletons, on the number of legs all insects have and so on and so on). And for two, and much more of a personal issue for me, Arthur Dorros’ accompanying illustrations for Ant Cities, they are just not all that much to my aesthetic tastes, for yes, I am definitely finding Dorros’ pictures absolutely, utterly bland, lifeless and thus equally not really a decent visual mirror to and for his textual descriptions (and that the illustrations for Ant Cities are ALL verbally labelled with a super tiny and minuscule font that is much too small for my ageing eyes is even more frustrating, because even with my reading glasses I actually cannot read ANY of these descriptive labels and which kind of defeats the purpose of Arthur Dorros including labels in the first place).

Therefore, for me, the combination of text and images has really not been all that successfully rendered in Ant Cities. And although Arthur Dorros does indeed and of course present much that is of interest, much narrational information on ants and on their so-called cities, I just cannot and will not consider more than two stars and to recommend Ant Cities only with very major reservations (as I definitely wanted and even expected considerably more textual detail, the illustrations and how they are labelled are seriously lacking, and yes indeed, that in Ant Cities, Arthur Dorros also does not bother with including any bibliographic materials whatsoever, this really does make me intellectually frustrated and also rather massively livid, as there are way way too many non fiction picture books on the market, out there, where bibliographic materials are ignored, are not considered important).

[Luisa Knight]

Another enjoyable Let's-Read-and-Find-Out book that relays the many fun facts about ants!

Ages: 4 - 8

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[Emily]

AAAANNNTTTT CIIIITTTIIIIIEEEEES!!!!!!!

[Tym]

Another good non-fic for kids

[Nikki in Niagara]

The text in this early reader picture book is delightful. Brief and yet full of information and just about anything one could think to ask about basic facts of ants and then some. Children will become fascinated and want their own ant farm as described on the last page. I'd like to try another ant farm myself now! I just don't like the illustrations; Dorros draws wish-washy scenes and the faces on his kids make them all appear to be grimacing; however, he does have an incredible talent for drawing the intricate mazes of the insides of an ant hill. There are many of such drawings and they are fascinating to look at. Worth the buy. However this is too modern for my collection and is off to the thrift store.

[Irini]

1. Awards the book has received: None
2. Appropriate grade level(s): K-3rd
3. Original summary: Did you ever wonder where an ant goes when it disappears into an anthill? Underneath the hill, there are miles of tunnels and hundreds of rooms!
4. Original review: With simple, easy-to-understand words and colorful illustrations, Arthur Dorros explains the life of a harvester ant for the early reader and even shows readers how to build their own ant farms!
5. 1-2 possible in-class uses: Can be used to study biology and ants and even science.

[Ray]

ants are cool and i learned alot from this book

[Jessica]

Informational book about ant life. Would be fun to use in conjunction with observing an ant farm in the classroom.

[Samantha Penrose]

This book was informative, but not much fun.

[Elizabeth A]

I read this as part of my search to find great reads that might interest my nephews and nieces. This one is full of great information, but the illustration and presentation is rather uninspired.

[CFAITC]

This nonfiction book with colorful illustrations describes the activities that occur in an ant colony.

[Sarai Clemente]

Good informational book with amazing pics that enhance what it is being taught

[Siskiyou-Suzy]

Somewhat wordy for pre-schoolers, but nice source of information.

[Jill]

Solid informational book about ant cities with detailed illustrations.

[Heidi]

The Lets- read-and-find-out science series are some of my favorite nonfiction books. The one I personally enjoyed the most was Ant Cities, written and illustrated by Arthur Dorros, I learned so much! The Lets-read-and-find-out books have won awards from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Arthur Dorros won an Orbis Pictus Award in1998, but Ant cities has not specifically received an honor. The book as published in 1987 and is recommended for ages 5-9. It is a Stage 2 book that explores the topic of ants in considerable depth. We follow a harvester ant into his elaborate hill where we learn about their amazing lives. They have jobs, communication skills and a social structure that allows their society to thrive. While the author is not guilty of anthropomorphizing, ants do seem to have a lot of human like traits We learn about different types of ants and fascinating ant facts. This book is packed with information that is delivered in an easily digestible format. The art is cartoon but realistic as well. The illustrations clearly depict the text and helps to further a learners understanding. The rendition of the interior of the ant hill is fascinating. The labeling of the illustrations help to clarify discussed concept. This informative book is worthy to be studied in any classroom. My one complaint about the book is the suggested use of ant farms. I find keeping any living create confined for study unethical and would recommend observing ants in their natural habitat. They are certainly not hard to find.

[Catalina Sanchez]

This book takes us on an adventure to explore the world of ants. The book is in Spanish and the illustrations are detailed making it feel like you are right there observing the ants while they build their homes. The book is exciting and educational. I recommend this book for children of all ages. It teaches us about the lives of ants and how they work together to create amazing underground cities.

[Xander Noel]

I found this book to very informative. It gives all kinds of information about ants and how their colonies work. The illustration were also very well done and allowed you to see into the ant hill. I know children would enjoy this book, although some may find it gross. I do however recommend this book.

[Lynn Davidson]

This little science picture book about ants tells about the cities ants build and live in. There are many rooms for different purposes and specific ants that do different roles. There are thousands of different kinds of ants in the world and they don’t all eat the same food. Interesting information well explained and nicely illustrated.

[Joanna Pingel]

This is a science content book. it explains what happens when ants disappear into the dirt. It explains that there a tunnel like passages that ants created to transport food and move around. It explains what ants do doing their daily lives and why they are important.

[Peyton]

A good way to show what the roles of ants are in a fun an interesting way.

[Nolan Brendel]

I liked it because it talked about ants and all the different places they have in their hill.

[Jurene]

Informative and fun for the kids to read.

[Corinne]

Information in book is fascinating but it feels scattered, not in a logical order. Written for young readers. Simple illustrations. Good intro to the world of worker ants.

[Cws]

JEAR3-Dor

[Jessica]

My family loves this series of science books. We read this just before embarking on our ant farm project.

[Kelly Triplett]

Great book for an insect unit for lower elementary class.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 8403 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.2 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP

[Elanor]

All by herself!