It's an Orange Aardvark!

by Michael Hall

Boom! Rumble, rumble.Did you hear that?The five carpenter ants who star in this book did.One ant is convinced there's an aardvark outside their stump, ready to eat them up!Three ants aren't so sure.One ant decides to drill a peephole and investigate.

Wrrrr . . .

Thunk!

Uh-oh!

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Fiction, 1st Grade

32 pages, Library Binding

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Michael Hall is the author/illustrator of The New York Times bestseller, My Heart Is Like a Zoo, as well as the critically acclaimed Perfect Square, It’s an Orange Aardvark, Red: A Crayon’s Story, and Frankencrayon.

Before becoming a children’s author, Michael was an award-winning graphic designer whose work — including graphic identities for the City of Saint Paul, Macalester College, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Hennepin County Medical Center — has been widely recognized for its simple and engaging approach.

Michael lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text: 4 stars
Illustrations: 5 stars

Some carpenter ants drill holes to investigate noise outside their tree stump. Each hole reveals a different color. One ant eventually pieces the clues together, while another ant imagines the worst-case scenario throughout the story. Die cuts are used quite effectively to build mystery and to show how carpenter ants function.

I love this picture book, until the ending. It's not clear to me why three of the ants have wings, thereby enabling their escape, while the other two ants do not, ensuring they are trapped. I googled it and discovered that only female carpenter ants grow wings, and they are temporary until they mate. I feel like we need a note of explanation to make sense of the book's conclusion. Or perhaps we need a different resolution?

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book! I like how the ants each have their own personality that stays consistent throughout the book.

The ants definitely aren't playing in this book, but it feels playful to me as a reader since after a while, I'm pretty sure there's not going to be a blue-pajama'd orange aardvark herding green geckos, etc. etc. With each hole that is drilled, another color is revealed along with the red-hatted ant's dire predictions of what's to come. This feels like peek-a-boo or hide and seek to me and I think preschoolers will love this one--and many will be able to guess that it's a rainbow.

I would have given it 5 stars, except I didn't quite get the aardvark showing up with the geckos on the last page. I think it was supposed to be a joke, but I just didn't quite get it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just when you think you cannot find a new way to talk about colors, here one comes. A mystery and a concept book, a dash of zoology thrown in, and fun cut-outs to boot. This will be a real hoot at storytime.

[Kayla Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about some ants who are making up wild stories about the bright colors they see through a tiny whole to the outside. The artwork is reminiscent of Eric Carle, whom I love. A really cute story that makes a fun read aloud and discussion piece.

[Victoria Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I loved this story.

[Lindsey Rojem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for the "Orange On The Cover" part of my 2020 reading challenge. I loved it, the artwork was simple and cute and the ants were hilarious. I really enjoyed that they were Carpenter ants and wore hard hats.

[Christine Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could read this book over and over and over and I know this because I have and enjoyed it every time!

[Cloud · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, as we enjoyed this author's other books. Baby wasn't really into it. I was greatly amused by the ants and the story.

[Jolene Aho]

“It’s an Orange Aardvark!” is about carpenter ants who decide to drill a hole in their stump to see what is outside. Every time they drill a new hole, they see a different color. One ant is convinced that it is an orange aardvark, wearing blue pajamas, holding red ketchup, with green geckos, waiting to eat them. In the end, you see that it was a rainbow outside their stump, and the ants go out to see it. On the last page though, you see the aardvark sitting on the stump.
This is a picture book because each page has illustrations with a small amount of text. The pictures play a major role in the story. The book has holes in the pages where the ants drilled holes in the stump so you can see to the next page.
This book could be used to teach colors. Students could also make predictions about what they think is outside the stump and discuss whether they think the aardvark ate the ants at the end. It could also be integrated with science for a predator and prey lesson.
This book would be most appropriate for a read aloud with primary grade students. They would enjoy the colorful illustrations and the surprise at the end of the story.

[SamZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some carpenter ants hear a loud crash, and become paranoid that an aardvark is coming to get them. They drill several hole in their stump to see what's outside, and they see lots of colors - what could it be?
This was a cute concept, it just fell a bit short for me.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a little one in your life, run right out to a library and check out It's an Orange Aardvark! You'll laugh out loud at the carpenter ants in little hard hats and the orange aardvark wearing pajamas. This book is a hoot for both kids and parents!

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aardvarks rock! (Yes, I went to Harvard!) This is a charming tale of carpenter ants using the scientific method in hilarious ways to identify the source of a mysterious sound outside their ant hill. The last page is priceless!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware of pajama-wearing, ketchup-carrying, gecko-guiding, dozer-driving orange aardvark's pouring purple grape juice!

[Juliana Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michale Hall is a picture book genius. Goodness! Gracious! Yikes! You've got to read this book.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

New version of the blind men and the elephant?

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite line: "Aardvarks prefer their ants with lots of ketchup, you know."

Great book to teach colors!

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable and fun :)

[Alyson Howlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book to five year olds. Really fun.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 3/4 stars. The illustrations are bold, graphic and bright. An ant with a yellow hard hat drills a hole in the communal stump to see outside. Three blue hard-hatted ants are thrilled, but a red hard hat ant makes dire predictions that change every time the yellow ant completes a hole and can see a bit more of the outside. There is a lot of humor and merit in the story. Young children can follow the character traits of the ants, adventurous and scientific, enthusiastic and gullible, fearful and pessimistic. They can predict both how the characters will respond and what the underlying reality is. (What is really outside the stump?) All of this is great but the final page confused me and I fear will puzzle children. Are we seeing what the pessimistic ant is imagining or are we seeing reality? I bet on imagining, but that results in a rather flat ending, with no new information.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a search of just the right story for a group of special needs children, this one popped up as a possibility. I really like that it is a book about colors and a little "scary" (What will happen to the carpenter ants?) It even has an unexpected dark ending.

We tried it with the group and the story up to the ending was pretty good. (This group builds to enjoyment of a story after several readings) The twist at the end was too challenging.

For a class of first graders who can participate and get the final joke, this would be a great color story. I think for one-on-one reading with a child, this story would help develop that macabre sense of humor that is based in the reality of animal life cycles.

[Alison Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think my favorite thing about this book is that it appealed to both my 2 year old and my 4 year old. I like that it teaches colors (great for a 2 year old) as well as overcoming fear of the unknown (great for a 4 year old). It's pretty silly too which is always a win. And why do kids love books with holes in them? A question for the ages... Anywho... The premise is that a group of carpenter ants hear noises outside and one of them decides to make a hole so they can see what's outside. A fear mongering ant comes up with scary (to ants) possibilities for each color that each new hole shows them. In the end, there's a plausible reason for all the different colors and it doesn't involve any aardvarks! :)

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a way this is a mystery story. Five carpenter ants, who are the main characters in this story, hear a loud noise. They try to figure out what or who has made that BOOM! Rumble, rumble.

Mostly the story progresses because the ants swap their theories.

Also, cleverly positioned holes on the physical pages make it possible for readers to gain a colorful perspective on the story. Plus, those holes are just the right size for little reader's fingers to poke-and-explore the story... which can't be said for most holes, or most books.

Cute and funny, "It's an Orange Aardvark!" rates FIVE STARS. Thanks for the creativity, the story, the words, and the visuals, Michael Hall.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have much to say. I agree with most of the reviews, including this one, my favorite: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., and especially with the ones who thought the ending was just a bit 'off.' If I had a child I'd probably rate it 4 stars, because most children like a shiver of a hint of gruesomeness and would likely give this 5 stars.

[Camille Rickis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorable tale of cautious and paranoid ants is hilarious, and can also be helpful for young readers learning about colors. The illustrations are fun and colorful, blending exceptionally with the text, and the interactive holes in the pages makes the book even more fun. Because of the small details on the pages and focus on the dialogue, this book is great for newer readers to read to themselves.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am a sucker for books with holes in the pages, and this one drew me right in. As ants in a stump drill "windows" to see what is going on outside, their understanding of what they might be seeing is cause for laughter and wonder. I think this book lends itself to a wider age range for its audience than some of Mr. Hall's others books. I may share it with my first graders late in the school year. I think children about age 7 and up will be able to appreciate and enjoy the humor.

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are learning the colors, then you will want to read this book! I loved the clever way that the colors were introduced, with words, curiosity, and with a tactile component. This book put a smile on my face--the prediction and all the spin-off questions...what is an aardvark...does he really eat ants...and how is a carpenter ant different than the ants we see on our sidewalk? And so many more! :-)

[Carolyn Jeziorski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a colorful book to teach about perspective. One ant keeps drilling holes to look out, but the alarmist ant thinks it’s an aardvark waiting to eat them. As he sees a new color with each hole, the worried ant adds colorful additions to the aarvark: like ketchup and pajamas. At the end, four ants are brave enough to head outside and see what is actually a rainbow. It reminded me a bit of the blind men and the elephant.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Minnesota Author/Illustrator is so cheeky and clever! This is such a fun read aloud and the die cut holes drilled through the pages by a curious carpenter ant is a pleasure to explore each page more vibrant than the last.

A great read for Pride Month (or anytime really) with a (*spoiler*) big rainbow at the end of the story. Read it and let me know what you think the allegorical take away is!

[Richetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super fun book and it lends itself well to an interactive read aloud experience. I loved the illustrations and the addition of actual holes in the pages for tactile learners. There are many layered opportunities for learning in the book from colors to nature to numbers. The rhythm of the sentences are great and the repetition makes it fun for kids to participate in a read aloud. Loved the ending! lol!