No Ants Please

 

Sure to appeal to young children and a perfect book for lower grade story time, the story of Benny the Ostrich on a quest with his mother to try new foods is a charming way to teach kids about curiosity and trying something new. Benny is tired of eating the same thing every day, and with the help of his mother, goes on a quest to ask other animals what they eat and do a taste test of their favorite foods with humorous results. In the process, he learns that these other foods aren't exactly what he was hoping for, and that his food is best after all, but the inherent lesson within is that he was brave and at least tried. The illustrations are vivid and eye-catching and the story follows a pattern that is perfect for use in teaching classroom literacy or lessons in character. My one and only issue was with the word "farting" being used, as it felt just a tad crass, but it would work as a perfect jumping off point for a discussion about manners.  I work with young children and know that they would be laughing at several of the results of Benny's efforts, and keeping children this age engaged in a story is everything. It's a great first effort from Heather Hansen with wonderful illustrations from Aleksander Jasinski, and I happily recommend it.