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Summary
Summary
The only ant with his own name, Douglas is born into the wonderful Antworld and dreams of one day joining the line to hunt out food. But his superiors have other plans for him: Douglas is to be a soldier. They tell him his job is all about parading, waving flags and wearing a uniform, but Douglas is about to discover that there is no glory in war. A humbling perspective on the First World War from master-storyteller Tony Ross.'Uncompromisingly powerful' GUARDIAN 'Layered and shocking; to be read with the knowledge that a conversation on war will surely follow' KIRKUS 'the perfect way to address the idea of war with children' ASSOCIATION OF ILLUSTRATORS
Author Notes
Tony Ross has been illustrating books for over 40 years, and has been published all over the world. He is perhaps best known for his much-loved Little Princess series, which has been adapted for TV and is currently showing on Channel 5s Milkshake, and for his collaboration on David Walliams' best-selling children's books. Tony's books have been shortlisted for the The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards ( Slug Needs a Hug ) and the Kate Greenaway ( Dr Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers ), and Tadpole's Promise won the Silver Medal Smarties Prize . He has been named as the best-selling illustrator in the UK for three years in a row, and he is the UK's libraries' most-borrwed illustrator. He lives in Rutland.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Sweet-natured Douglas is the only ant in Antworld with a name; in the nursery, all the other ants just have "A" on their cribs. He yearns to fit in and be one of the many ants who carry food into the anthill in "a beautiful line," but he has a different destiny: he, too, will march in a beautiful line, but as a soldier ant. Wearing a uniform and carrying a rifle, he will defend Antworld, making it "a safer place for all the little ants." When war does come, however, it is a horrible human war that obliterates the anthill with an artillery barrage and a gray, blurry "BANG" that explodes across an entire spread. Ross (Our Kid) begins with a lighthearted, almost reportorial opening and watercolor scenes that are both whimsical and striking, surrounding the busy, cupcake-carrying ants with tones of red, brown, blue, and green. But the shift into war is so abrupt, ending with a somber wordless tribute to fallen soldiers, that the overall effect is disjointed and jarring. Ages 7-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The story of a soldier ant that's true to ant colonies while also an allegory of war.In Antworld, everyone has their role. But one tiny newborn ant is different. He has a name: Douglas. As Douglas grows, he watches others carry food in a long, beautiful line. He wants to join that line, but that is not his job. He is to be a soldier to protect Antworld from enemies. He is proud of his uniform and gets to march in a formation while a band plays and other ants wave flags. But when Antworld comes under attack, there is no more pomp and circumstance. Large shells whiz straight toward the anthill, dwarfing it. A smoky, gun-powdered "BANG" explodes across one spread. Ross then abruptly changes the narrative, with one double-page spread showing World War I soldiers advancing across a shattered, gray no man's land, the yellow of mustard gas and a smear of red in one corner the only spots of color; directly beneath the red is a typescript sentence: "The end." This is followed soberingly by a monument covered in nameless A's, with "Douglas" included. The cover shows a smiling, cartoonish ant with rainbow lettering for the clever title. But the immediacy of the ending is the antithesis of all that charm. That is what war can do. Change life in an instant. Layered and shocking; to be read with the knowledge that a conversation on war will surely follow. (Picture book. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In busy, thriving Antworld, young Douglas is the only ant without a job. Though aspiring to fit in . . . and be in the beautiful line of ants ferrying food, his assigned role is different: to be a soldier. Donning a uniform and carrying a rifle, Douglas finally feels a sense of purpose and belonging, happy to be a soldier, and to be in a beautiful line protecting Antworld. But then war comes, and the colorful, cartoonish portrayal of the ant community takes a darker, somber turn, in art and tone, first in the depiction of large bombs falling over the just-visible anthill, then in a more realistically rendered spread of WWI-era human soldiers progressing across a battlefield, followed abruptly by The End. A simple, line-drawn memorial Douglas' name stands out serves as the book's epilogue. Ultimately, though the picture-book format and lively ant characters suggest an audience of younger readers, the multifaceted, complex allegorical approach, heavy subject matter, and story's conclusion make this better suited to a slightly older audience and adult guidance.--Shelle Rosenfeld Copyright 2018 Booklist