My Brother Ant

Written By: Betsy Byars, Marc Simont

List Price:  $3.99

Availability:  Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days

Product Details

Publisher:  Viking Books

Date Published:  March 1, 1996

Format:  paperback

From Publishers Weekly
It may not earn Byars (Summer of the Swans) another Newbery Medal or Simont (A Tree Is Nice) another Caldecott, but this volume is tailor-made for kids just beginning to read on their own. For starters, they will immediately take to the admirably tolerant narrator, whose feisty younger brother, Ant (short for Anthony), would test any sibling's patience. In these snippets, the older boy chases a monster from under Ant's bed; copes with an indecipherable picture that someone (guess who?) has drawn on his homework paper; reads Ant a fairy tale; and plays scribe when Ant dictates a letter to Santa . . . in July. Told with brevity, in simply constructed sentences and controlled vocabulary, these four vignettes are full of homespun warmth and easy-going humor. Echoing the good-natured narrative, Simont's straightforward pictures do a commendable job of helping to relay the plots-a big plus in fiction for this audience. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3?In this appealing easy reader, a boy chronicles how his sometimes-pesky younger brother, Ant, puts a twist on everyday events and keeps the family on its toes. The caring older sibling gets rid of the monster under Ant's bed, reads him a short version of "The Three Little Figs," records his summer thank-you letter to Santa, and manages to take into stride the preschooler's addition to his spelling homework. The affectionate relationship between the boys underscores all the stories. Simont's lively, realistic watercolors enhance the understated humor. Beginning readers will enjoy this effort and look forward to more low-key adventures featuring the irrepressible Ant.?Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.