Two Bad Ants: A Whimsical Picture Book About a Kitchen Adventure for Kids

by Chris Van Allsburg

Two-time Caldecott medal winning author-illustrator Chris Van Allsburg, author of Jumanji and The Polar Express, brings his signature whimsical storytelling and dazzling artwork to a tale about two ants on the adventure of a lifetime.

The ants are tired of their humdrum life in the same ant hole, so they're off to the strange new world of a kitchen in search of sugar crystals for their queen.

But when two ants stay behind and take a nap in the sugar bowl, they are in for a wild ride. Falling into a sizzling cup of coffee and a heated stay inside of a toaster is just the beginning for these misbehaved ants.

Will they ever make it back home?

Chris Van Allsburg's terrific story about the consequences of disobeying reminds us all that the comforts of home aren't so bad after all.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Adventure, 1st Grade

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 24, 1988

About the author

Chris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.

Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks.

When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired.

When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.

There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.

The next house they lived in was an old brick Tudor Style house in East Grand Rapids. It was a street that looked like the street on the cover of The Polar Express. The houses were all set back the same distance from the street. Between the street and the sidewalk grew enormous Elm trees whose branches reached up and touched the branches of the trees on the other side of the street. Chris moved to this street with his mom, dad, sister, and two Siamese cats. One named Fafner and the other name Eloise.

Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story from an ants perspective. The ants go looking for food in a human’s house and 2 ants decide to explore for the adventure of their lives.

The kids loved this book. They loved seeing and thinking about their home and world through the lens of an ant. It was a great exercise for them. The nephew giggled and giggled when the ant in the coffee was almost drank. He kept saying what things really were. They loved it. That new perspective worked well for them as a surprise element.

The niece gave this 4 stars and the nephew gave this 5 stars.

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Two Bad Ants” is a unique little book by Chris Van Allsburg, author of “Jumanji” about how two ants learn the hard way about the consequences of disobeying your elders. “Two Bad Ants” is definitely a book about danger that will excite children for a long time.

Chris Van Allsburg has done a terrific job with both the illustrations and the story as he makes the story as dramatic as he can. Chris Van Allsburg’s story is exciting and intense at the same time as he makes it seem that the story is being told from an ant’s point of view as everything that the two ants encounter are monstrous in size compared to them. Also, Chris Van Allsburg does an excellent job with detailing the theme of this story about the consequences of being disobedient and how important the comforts of home are. Chris Van Allsburg’s illustrations are different from his other books as he illustrates everything with bold black linings including the ants and the man.



Parents should know that there are many intense scenes in this book that involves the two ants being thrown into dangerous situations such as almost drowning in the coffee and almost being cooked in the toaster. Parents might want to read this book before they show it to their children and also they should take some time to talk about the dangerous situations that the ants get into and what the consequences of being disobedient towards your elders can lead you to. Also, parents may need to explain to children about the dangers of being in the outside world by yourself and how their children must prepare themselves for anything that might happen in the outside world.

“Two Bad Ants” is a great cautionary tale about the importance of being obedient towards your parents or your elders and how one must prepare themselves for the dangers that awaits them in the outside world. I would recommend this book to children ages five and up due to the intense scenes of the ants getting into danger.

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, geometric illustrations from an ant's perspective, but what lesson are kids supposed to learn from this story? Stick with the crowd, don't rock the boat, conform - because trying something new is dangerous? Curiosity killed the cat (or almost killed the ants, I guess)?

I think I'd probably notice two ants swimming in a cup of something I was drinking. And does anyone think ants really would have survived the toaster? Mr. Van Allsburg needs to review his basic science about electricity...nothing would have happened to the ants unless they had touched both poles inside the socket, which they are really too small to do.

Cute idea, but the execution was more than a little lacking.

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Trista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about perspective. It is illustrated from an ant's perspective. The illustrations and story are fantastic. What Van Allsburg book wouldn't be?

[Marcus Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo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

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute book. Beautiful drawings. Unfortunate title, but you don't have to tell the preliterate kid what it's really called.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative! Loved the illustrations.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two ants travel with the troop to a bowl of sugar inside a house. They decide they'd rather stay and feast on sugar. This is a bad choice as a set of hazardous adventures soon prove.

[Chrissy Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had such a great message at the end of it! The bad ants realized that in order to be truly happy (and safe) they needed to be at home where they were needed and appreciated by their mother. This whole book was filled with vivid personification and description of these two bad ants and gave much insight as to what their feelings were at every given moment. I'm positive this book would be loved by most if not all children because ants are something that they see mostly every day and they probably haven't thought of a story that's from a tiny ant's point-of-view. I think the lesson would be one of the most important messages to convey to young readers. Being greedy won't get you anywhere! This would be a good story to tell to young children who don't share well, or just don't work together properly with others. During the night-time sequences of the story, the pictures are very dark and sort of scary, but in the morning while they're in the kitchen, everything is vivid and bright! This aspect does a good job at keeping the reader up to date about the changing setting.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightfully written and illustrated picture book follows two ants after they decide to stay behind at the end of an excursion into a house and a sugar bowl. The illustrations show all their misadventures as the inhabitant on the house wakes up and starts his day. By the end of it all, after they've almost been drowned, cooked, and electrocuted, they are ready to head back home. Sometimes it's NOT a good idea to head off on your own. This is a great book to read aloud without showing the pictures so that students can try to visualize what's actually happening.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 ants find that staying behind in a home instead of returning to their queen can be full of peril.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a clever book! My son and I enjoyed reading this together. It tells of a voyage and adventure through the eyes of two little ants.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suspect that the partial pictures will encourage the young audience to study each image to figure out what's happening in the world of ants. If the kids like the story (and I'm thinking that they will), I'll raise my rating to a 4.

[Kathy Mathey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite possibly my new favorite picture book...used in writing workshop to demonstrate narrative elements; 7th graders loved it.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's sad to see how many adults on Goodreads can't appreciate this marvelous book. They need to put their childhood-glasses back on.

Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg couples a whimsical plot with gorgeous illustrations to demonstrate how perspective is everything. For the "two bad ants" is question, sugar is crystal, a human kitchen an "unnatural place" full of dangerous obstacles such as coffee, a toaster, and a power outlet. Unlike other reviewers' summation, the theme is not to conform, it is that after all your adventures, you can always go home.

As an educator, I see innumerable possibilities for skill study, but it's also a story kids will want to hear again and again. Highly recommended.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess it was supposed to be clever how the ants saw various kitchen areas as harsh obstacles, with only the illustrations making it clear what the obstacles were. That idea was a little too complicated for my toddler to catch onto, though. I liked the illustrations, but they too were a little too complex for him. Mostly the entrepreneur in me objected to the theme. If we all keep working for "the man" -- and stop trying to get a piece of the prize for ourselves -- we'll avoid potential pitfalls.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really into bugs, but i decided to give this book a try. I didn't really like this book. I'm sure it's because I'm older. This book didn't keep me interested. One thing i did like about the book was the illustrations. I loved how they kept it simple with the color. I also liked how the story intensified as it went on. Just when you thought it was over, the ants ended up into another situation. I thought it was funny how the ants traveled all around the kitchen.

[Cassidy Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two Bad Ants is a picture book about a colony of ants who find a sugar jar to take from. Two (very rebellious) ants decided they wanted to make this sugar jar their new home. What they didn't know about making this sugar jar their new home was all the trouble that would come with it. Best suited for 1st-3rd grade.

[Arabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a really good book from an ant's point of view. It's funny! You should read it.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for a mini-lesson on using prior knowledge to aid comprehension.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't care any more about ants when they are drawn large and given a little story than I do ordinarily.

[Sadia Mansoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine read... I like how the daily, normal things are described through the ant's point of view.
Its like how the ants see the huge human world with their tiny eyes.

[Alba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book written by the perspective of the ants, which was interesting how they described human life. The story was a great lesson in the end of responsibility and over indulgence.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this old favorite and fell in love with it all over again. Van Allsburg was a real game-changer in the 1980s, when his mysterious books - in black and white, no less - took the picture-book world by storm. Everyone knows Polar Express and Jumanji, but I can highly recommend his less well-known works as well. My two boys loved the shift to ant-eye perspective, and I appreciated the bravura drawings that mimic old steel engravings. Highly original!

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

My children all took turns reading this (some aloud) when it came home from school last evening. Trust Chris Van Allsburg to craft a strangely compelling plot, this time about two sugar-loving ants who get carried away (literally) in a foreign house and learn their leggy little lesson about greed and staying-with-the-procession-for-the-benefit-of-Queen-Beloved.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I'd checked out some children's books in an attempt to hit my 200-book goal for 2023, and... well, I'm not going to just NOT read them.*

A book I saw all the time growing up but never read. Short and sweet, with some pretty creative ant interpretations of various human things.

[Christine Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha. Silly ants:)
Well written and beautiful art style. Creative!

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was cute. It talked about the dangers that can be found in an every-day home while also exploring the concept of feeling small. This is something that many children might associate to. A wishing to ignore the rules that our parents set forth. I think that labeling the ants as "bad" associates a negativity to wishing to be independent. While this is a good thing for young children. However, I think that learning from mistakes is what is important as young people for us to experience.

Granted, what it teaches us is to:

Don't Defy Our Parents
Don't Drink Coffee
Don't stick your hands in:
~Toasters
~Garbage Disposals
~Electrical sockets

These are all good things to emphasize.

I think it could also be good to discuss how nothing is named. You don't hear the words, sugar coffee, bagel, toaster, electrical socket, sink, faucet, garbage disposal etc.

Also notice how the forest that they march through is just a lawn.

In this sense I think that the pictures are imperative for telling this story. Liked the fact that they were colored, compared to "The Garden of Abdul Gasazi" and "Zathura" HOWEVER I liked the illustration style of those books more.

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't remember if I had read this one before, but I don't think I had. Pretty sure I would remember such a fun and different story. I love how the text tells the ants' experiences from their perspective while the illustrations show the reader where the ants really are and what they are really experiencing - yet still from the limited perspective of an ant.

My favorite is when the ants are hiding in a "huge round disk with holes" (slice of bread) which is then lifted and tilted and suddenly there is a "strange red glow" and the temperature is rising (the bread is now in a toaster) until it is unbearably hot and then suddenly the disk rockets upward and the ants go flying through the air. Just fun.

The ants also have experiences with a cup of coffee, the kitchen faucet, the garbage disposal, and an electrical outlet. Although don't worry! This could just as easily have been called "Two Lucky Ants." :) Highly recommended for all fans of Chris van Allsburg - which is pretty much everyone, right?

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very sweet, and had a good message at the end. In the beginning, the two bad ants decided that they wanted to be independent and tried to steer away from the colony and do whatever they wanted to do. However, once the two ants get into this "new world" they realize that it's not all what it is cut out to be. The ants get into situations that they almost don't escape, and they soon wish that they had never left the colony. When they finally do return back to the colony, they don't ever disobey again and make sure to stay close with those who love them.
I thought this was a good moral, especially for kids. Young kids often feel rebellious and that they can make it on their own with their own rules. But they will soon find that life on their own is not what it seems. Parents love their kids and they have rules to protect their kids. Overall, this was a good story.