Ant Party

by Ross Montgomery, Sarah Warburton (illustrator)

Andy the ant is planning a small party for his birthday. But as word spreads around the anthill, the guest list grows and grows! Exuberant fun on every colorful page.

It’s another busy day at the anthill. Farmer ants collect food, worker ants build tunnels, and soldier ants guard the queen. But for Andy, it’s a very special day: his birthday! He invites his neighbors for a fun party with dancing and dips. But unbeknownst to Andy, his neighbors invite a few of their friends, and then those friends invite a few of their friends . . . Soon the event is shaping up to be a full-blown mega ant party! Andy is shocked by the turnout, but soon gets into the swing of things. Until, that is, an unwelcome guest crashes the party—and Andy’s house!—and the ants must work together to save the day (and the dips). Jovial text and lively, detailed illustrations make this story a comedic delight.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Humor

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

Ross Montgomery has worked as a pig farmer, a postman and a primary school teacher, so writing books was the next logical step. He spent his childhood reading everything he could get his hands on, from Jacqueline Wilson to Beano annuals, and it taught him pretty much everything that's worth knowing. If you looked through his pockets you'd find empty crisp packets, lists of things to do, and a bottle of that stuff you put on your nails to stop you biting them. He lives in London with his girlfriend, a cat called Fun Bobby, and a cactus on every available surface.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute book about an Ant who just wants to have a smaller gathering for his birthday and how word of mouth creates an Ant party that ends in some destruction but it’s ultimately a great time. The illustrations were beautiful, the text was easy to understand for the 3+ crowd, and it was a fun story. Overall, 4/5 stars ⭐️ would recommend.

[James Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was both warned and concerned that there would be too many ants. There were.

But it's a lovely, funny, and charmingly illustrated book nevertheless.

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy the ant has decided to celebrate his birthday with dips, dancing, and a small group of pals. But, you can’t keep this kind of thing a secret for long and news soon spreads to the farmer ants, the worker ants, the soldier ants, and all the way up to the Queen herself. Soon thousands of ants push their way into Andy’s cozy home and he’s beside himself with worry. But when an anteater’s long tongue slips down into the anthill, the multitudes manage to hoist the villain overhead and toss him into the river. This funny, rolicking story builds nicely to its triumphant celebration of teamwork, with Warburton’s sprightly digital illustrations adding to the party atmosphere. Bright colors and busy full-bleed pages feature lots of goofy and entertaining details, including seed casing hard hats on the worker ants and tall sunflower hats on the soldier ants. Andy’s cozy little house contains a stylish sofa made out of a folded leaf, an arching lamp that’s actually a flower, and party streamers made of flowers. As the only turquoise ant in the colony, it’s always easy to pick out Andy in the crowd.  Clever endpapers show more scenes of ant life, including a jazz club, a shoe store, and a swimming pool! This is a very cute example of making lemonade out of lemons, with Andy’s apprehension giving way to hilarious collective action. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Andy the Ant's birthday and he wants to celebrate. He decides he's going to throw a small party and invite just his neighbors. But the neighbors tell the farmer ants and they tell the worker ants an the soldier ants overhear and tell the queen who invites all the neighboring ant colonies. When Andy opens the door that evening he is met with an army of ants! But it's a good thing because there's an anteater nearby.

Recommended for storytime. A good one for demonstrating flexibility and cooperation.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

👦🏻reviews: This reminds me of the movies Bugs Life and Ants but with cute characters while Andy maneuvers his party. The moral story, the beautiful and colorful illustrations and funny dialogues made this cute children’s book fascinating and hilarious. It actually held my full attention while I laugh flipping the pages. Perfect for little ones!

[Juwi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this book so much!

It’s so cute and funny!!

I love the illustrations and the leaf apron and party hat 🥹😹😭🥰

It’s such a funny story and kids and adults will love this wonderful picture book!

Perfect for a birthday!

10/10 would recommend! Love the plot twist at the end 😹🤣

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very fun and colorful chaos. And there's a lot you could talk about here (feeling bad for Andy that his small party becomes a big one when he didn't want that, how he took advantage of a bad situation, the things a community can do together that they can't individually).

[LudmilaM · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars. A sweet story, loved the details in illustrations.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious with super funny illustrations! A superb read aloud and so much to look at and enjoy!

[Mompop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adored this book, inspired me to rewatch Antz (Disney) - "Be the Ball"

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Themes: ants, parties
Ages: preK-1st grade
Pub year: 2025

[Y.Poston]

very cute par-tay story!

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just fun cuteness as a “small “ Birthday party becomes a huge event,

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable and quite charming!

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ants x Project X + an uninvited big guest! This was a lot of fun, I had such a laugh how everyone kept inviting everyone. But the party was a blast! And the art was a lot of fun!

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story with a good lesson. I love all the ants. Reminds of a Bugs Life movie.