Ant Story: A Graphic Novel

by Jay Hosler

Insect-extraordinaire Jay Hosler is back, this time exploring how we seek to understand ourselves and the world around us through the eyes of one of our world’s tiniest the ant. Meet Rubi, a tiny ant with a big personality and an even bigger love for stories. Who knew the small world of her colony could be full of unexpected friendships, epic adventures, and death-defying escapes? Follow Rubi on the journey of a lifetime as she uncovers the mystery and wonder of one of the world’s tiniest, mightiest insects.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Animals, Science, Comics, Childrens, Nature

160 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2024

About the author

Dr. Jay Hosler is an Associate Professor of Biology at Juniata College and an award-winning cartoonist who writes and draws comic books about biology and natural history. His work has been called "ingenious" (The London Times), "goofily inventive" (The New York Times), and "entertaining and slyly educational" (The Comics Journal). His works include Active Synapse classics such as Clan Apis, The Sandwalk Adventures, and Optical Allusions. You can visit Jay's website for a more in-depth introduction to this multi-talented cartoonist-biologist-professor-daddy.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best kind of educational children's graphic novel: it's thrilling, heartwarming, and horrific -- just like nature itself.

Rubi is a cartoon ant -- the only one of her kind -- living in a world of real ants and other insects. She has no one to talk to since real ants don't use verbal words, but that doesn't stop her from being a natural storyteller, sharing her tales with a mute audience. But one day, one ant finally talks back and Rubi finds herself on a journey of friendship and constant deadly peril.

It's a fun adventure full of surprising twists, the grotesqueries and wonders of the natural world, and much insect death. And you'll learn a lot too.

Recommended.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic. I've learned so much about ants and other insects in their microcosm. Rubi, a cartoon ant, helps us understand all there is to know about ants with her Once Upon a Time... stories filled with science facts and humor. Then another character (named Miranda) joins her to explore the world and uncover all the secrets. We learn about different types of ants, their colonies their purpose, and how their life cycle works (from birth to feeding and death).
This educational graphic novel is filled with humor and valuable information making learning pleasant.
Did you know about Assassin Bugs?
I hope there will be more books like this one.

[Cheyenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 3 stars
format: ebook (comic)

this really is a comic just about ants and the environments they live in. and you know what? i can't be mad because that's exactly what it's marketed as, and i learned a bunch of neat (and gross!) facts about ants and bugs. cute art style too

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel would be great to have in a classroom library or just at home. The illustrations are wonderful.

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

cannot wait for more of these. i’ve never had more fun learning about bugs!

[Krystyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was informative and would probably be enjoyed by kids. The art was cute and parts of the story were cute, but I felt like I just wanted to skim some sections. This would be good for a younger audience. It introduces the educational information in a palpable way, since it's in a graphic novel format.

[Erin McLauchlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the heebie jeebies through just about all of this book, but somehow I think I'll be able to see real ants with more curiosity, understanding, and patience. After seeing weaver ants, army ants, turtle ants, and leafcutter ants and the roles they all play in the ecosystem, I'm much more tempted to craft a lemon peel border and reseal my windows than to pour boiling water on the colony and destroy all their cool fungus chambers.

As I start work on my garden and compost indoors, I'm bound to encounter tons of bugs and knowing how they fit into the cycle of growth and decay helps me to not spiral about uncleanliness or the possibility of them taking over my house and kicking me out. Perhaps I'll even bring them some aphid treats.

Other pro-bug books on my list include Braiding Sweetgrass and Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocolypse.

This book also rekindled a love of scientist authors who just want to shout to the world about how cool their work is (much like ant protagonist Rubi). It reminds me of a video of Hank Green's (I think) that scientists are, contrary to some people's beliefs, not trying to gatekeep secrets to keep you in the dark, but are actually shouting from the rooftops hoping for someone to listen to them because they are learning So Much Neat Stuff. I hope this book finds many Mirandas.

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read other Jay Hosler books before. I especially loved The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story. This one is similar, as it is the story of an ant. But...it's quite a bit more far fetched. The ant makes an unlikely friend (trying not to spoil it) and they go on an adventure where they learn about many other different kinds of ants, and the ant predators and parasites. Might be fun for a kid who is into science and nature. But it wasn't my favorite of the author's books, so definitely check out others if you get the chance.

[book worm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 silly goobers
Not as good as the bee one. It isn’t as focused on the species and more so just loosely related adventures with facts thrown in. I think I was biased because I read the other book of his first. Still had fun!

[Jack Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different enough from CLAN APIS but just as informative and adorable, ANT STORY is a must-read for fans of bugs or comics.

[Stellar Nursery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ticks every box:
1) Brilliant science education
2) Wonderfully imaginative story
3) Excellent illustrations
4) Just the right balance of pathos and butt jokes

[Liz Larimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ant education with a story in a graphic novel done well. I also enjoyed The Story of a Hive and the graphics a whole bunch.

[Jenny So · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and I liked the drawings. I learned a lot about different types of ants and other bugs. It was a well done mixture of fiction and nonfiction!

[Karly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is meant for a young audience and I despise bugs, I still learned many interesting things!

[Carol Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of entertaining grossness!

[Skye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cute story about a cartoon ant!!🐜
I love it!!!😍

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Hosler has recently been one of my favorite authors to read. The combination of science with cartoonish art with great humor is wonderful. He consistently produces high quality titles that work well for me.

Ant Story is no exception. Rubi is a Cartoon Ant who lives in a colony of leaf-cutter ants. Since only Cartoon Ants can speak, Rubi has no one to talk to except us - and they proceed to describe the life of the colony, the way ants communicate through scent, and the ever precarious life of an ant in a dangerous world. Eventually Rubi does meet another ant that can talk... but that might be more than meets the eye.

Filled with humor and great art, Hosler weaves a complex story about friendship into an informative tale about ant life.

There aren't a lot of folks creating books like Jay Hosler. Luckily, he's pretty great at what he does.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Hosler's earlier The Way of the Hive, this is basically a much more polished version of Science Comics. There's a serious framing device, following the action-packed adventures of cartoon ant Rubi and her new friend, Miranda. Rubi and Miranda's adventure introduces them to several different kinds of ants, predators, and parasites, providing a lot of factual information while still being an exciting adventure. The kind of kid who already reads Science Comics will be thrilled with this book, because they'll get the same level of science content with a lot more interesting story.

[Corina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and educational middle grade graphic novel that dives deep into the world of leaf cutter ants (and many other insects as well).

Unlike in the Way of the Hive, our MC is very special in that they are a cartoon character in a world of more realistic (and nonspeaking) other creatures. I wasn't really a fan of this structure, but then once Rubi finds a friend who can also speak, my enjoyment increased a whole lot. By the end, this turned out to be a nice touching story, of course, never compensating on the deluge of cool science!

[B&F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came very highly recommended from my 8 year old book critic. He's already got two more stories from this author ordered from our local library. I think I enjoyed it as much as he did! It's thrilling, educational , and just plain funny! Rubi ,our cartoon ant narrator, is a delight! She is sweet and silly and takes you on an adventure to learn more than you ever knew you wanted to know about a variety of bugs and loving every minute of it! Highly recommend, young,old, and to ages in-between 👌

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as, The Way of the Hive, which I absolutely loved. The key to this book, as he did with the book about bees, is the information is blended into a story which connects and captivates the reader. No wonder this was constantly checked out by our students.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so lame to compare a book to its predecessor, but I was a little disappointed by this book, mostly because I liked Way of Hive the so much more. BUT, this very informative, ant's eye view is humorous and engaging. Entertaining for readers who want a lot of information from their graphic novel.

[Martha Reitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not huge on graphic novels, but I really enjoyed reading this one! The page layout made it very easy to follow along with the words and pictures. I loved the fact that it turned an educational topic about ants and made it into a fun story. The book is about a cartoon ant named Rubi that lives among real ants. The real ants cannot talk to him because real ants can't speak. Rubi carries on conversations with them by him narrating what he thinks they may say in a fun way. He also makes up these once upon a time stories where he gets creative in narrating their daily lives. Rubi eventually meets another carton insect, and they go on adventures together. Although it is a super fun and interesting story, it is very educational, and you learn so much about how ants live and what they do.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom. I feel like it would be interesting to have students pick an insect to learn about and have them come up with their own comic strip to narrate some of the big take aways. They could share them with the class when complete. It would be so creative and fun!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this five stars. It was a lot of fun and packed with information, but there's no resources in the back. So while the book itself is vibrant and fun, and I loved that the threads of fiction and nonfiction twined together so nicely, but it would have been better with some backmatter.

My favorite part was when the cartoon ant realizes that his new real ant friend is really a parasitic fly that had been laid in the real ant's head. There's some fantastically wild absurdity that follows, that is largely based in what happens to real ants. And so many horrors are out there for leafcutter ants: death tongues (I think iguanas), antlion pits, parasitic phorid flies, assassin bugs, armadillos, a haunted hive, exploding ants, ocellated ant birds, weaver ants, even turtle ants infected with parasitic worms. It's a wild ride.

[Michelle Tuite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading 2025
Book 24: Ant Story by Jay Hosler

Think this middle grade graphic novel came on my radar as one of those readers also enjoyed things on Goodreads.

Synopsis: Meet Rubi, a tiny ant with a big personality and an even bigger love for stories. Who knew the small world of her colony could be full of unexpected friendships, epic adventures, and death-defying escapes? Follow Rubi on the journey of a lifetime as she uncovers the mystery and wonder of one of the world’s tiniest, mightiest insects.

Review: This reader did not enjoy Ant Story. It was over the top silly and too much in some of the scenes. Sure it is informative, and may appeal to the younger end of the middle grade range, but I found my attention wavering for much of the book. My rating 2.5⭐️.

[TheDiversePhDReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟 This graphic novel was quite educational. I learned something about ants, different types of ants, and how they live. Despite the educational aspect, I found Rubi's narrative annoying, and in the words of Miranda (a parasite - a phorid fly that matures in the head of a leaf cutter ant), "You are ridiculous".

What is Rubi? An ant? Or another insect parasitizing an ant colony. Why is she not working like other members of the colony? Just hanging out eating, annoying the actual workers, and having so much free time to walk about.

Rubi is such a distraction, really wants to be the center of attention and always telling story. Miranda and Rubi partner up on various adventures for like 90% of the book.

Rubi is also a low-key masochist.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Hosler never disappoints weaving fun stories together with lovely illustrations and great science.
This is a wonderful story to share with kids. I had my 7 year old read it as well. He tore through it and immediately asked to read the next book in the series. He was a bit upset when I told him that there wasn't a next book, but thrilled when I told him I have other similar books by the same author.
The main character are cute and there is tons of fun info about ants and other insects. 
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.
#jayhosler #Netgalley #antstory

[Beth Given · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe this should be rated higher, because I do think kids would totally like learning about gross bugs who end up as parasites to other bugs (my twelve-year-old son loved this book!). And I do love learning about cool science-y stuff. But this book gave me the heebie-jeebies! What even is happening in the insect world!! This is not Pixar's A Bugs Life! Be prepared to read about parasitic worms that grow inside of ants and turn the ant abdomens into berry look-alikes so they get eaten by birds. Really.

I did like this book okay, if a little hard to follow in some places. I learned some things, though I'm not sure I am glad about that! Wow, nature is gross!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very niche but clever--who knew there were so MANY kinds of ants--ant they are *brutal*!
Rubi is a caroon ant, so narrates the story, talking for everyone else--because ants don't talk, obvi. So he tells "Once upon a time..." tales. Then he leaves the nest--very dangerous--and teams up with Miranda, another ant, trying to protect her from various insect dangers. But why can she talk?? She's a parasitic phorid egg/larva inside an ant, but also...a cartoon, once she hatches.
Charming, gross and fascinating.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join Rubi the cartoon ant living alone in a real ant colony. She speaks and the other ants can't so is lonely and full of stories she wants to share. Enter Miranda who appears to be an ant. But she can speak like Rubi! Join them as they move from one crisis to another, pursued by insect predators, and also begin to understand the nature of nature. And the surprise of Miranda's identity is just one of many gory, bizarre, and wonderous insect revelations!