As some of you may know, I am wild about ants, so naturally I had to pick up Ant Antics by Deborah Lock. This DK Reader is full of the fabulous full color photographs you have come to expect from DK, and it is told in a lighthearted way using the point of view of the ants that is sure to pull in young readers. 
Deborah Lock has done her research and her portrayal of the six types of ants she chose is accurate and realistic. Although she does move into some mild sensationalism as times (“…we each use our lethal weapon- a poisoned stinger!”), her text is for the most part balanced and is thoroughly readable.
A note to those of you with sensitive children: there is one photograph of a dead lizard with ants crawling on it that could be disturbing.
According to the DK scale, Ant Antics is level 3, which means it is meant to be read alone. The vocabulary and sentence structure are more complex than a beginning reader, and it contains a full glossary and index.
Overall, Ant Antics is definitely a book that will interest young scientists and naturalists. Although I picked up the book I reviewed at the library, I will be on the lookout for a copy for my personal ant book collection.
Reinforce learning with some ant-related hands-on activities
Reading level: Ages 7 and up
Paperback: 48 pages
Publisher: DK CHILDREN (August 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0756689325
ISBN-13: 978-0756689322
Stem Friday is at Picture Book of the Day today. Click through for links to more excellent STEM books.
If you would like to participate in STEM Friday in the future, go to the new STEM Friday blog for more information.
