The Ant and the Grasshopper
Retold and illustrated by Amy Lowry Poole
Published by: Holiday House
Long ago, a carefree grasshopper shared a corner of the Emperor’s courtyard with a hardworking family of ants. While the grasshopper danced and sang for the royal household all through the summer, the ants diligently gathered grain for winter. They urged their frind to prepare for the coming cold, but the grasshopper could not be bothered. How could he know that the Emperor and his court would soon be leaving their summer quarters for the Forbidden City?
Amy Lowry Poole’s unique rendition of this fable by Aesop is set in the Imperial Chinese Emperor’s Summer Palace. Her stunning paintings and expressive retelling belend Eastern and Western traditions to bring a new meaning to a favorite tale.
…Aesop’s fable is transported to the Chinese emperor’s summer palace, and it is an effective move. . .Poole’s paintings and simple text capture the wistful nature of the story, evoking the lazy days and magical nights of summer. A wonderfully refreshing spin on the familiar fable.
- Booklist
…an ideal backdrop for this tale. . .Bold, well-composed illustrations are painted with a traditional Chinese brush using ink and gouache on rice paper. This handsome offering is well worth adding to any collection.
- School Library Journal
…this smooth retelling of Aesop’s classic fable is set in the summer palace of the Chinese emperor. Poole once again applies the techniques of scroll-making to luxurious effect in calming hues of orange, brown and green. . .a well retold tale.
- Publishers Weekly
…the moral here is a familiar one but the setting is unusual. The grasshopper, which nature and Amy Lowry Poole’s paintings appears to have been given a robe of imperial beauty. . .wins and easy sympathy from the readers who can understand the pleasures of a little fiddling. . .
- The Chicago Tribune
…this title’s wonderful artwork makes the fable of THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER even more universal.This should be in every collection of fables.
- American Booksellers Association
