This book is about two ants that decided living in a bowl of crystals (sugar) would be better than going back to their natural home with the other ants. The two ants are then faced with a number of obstacles and lashings that lead to deciding it was time to go back home with the other ants as they brought sugar back to their queen. The story is a good one that is entertaining and suspenseful, I was continuously wondering what was going to happen to the two ants. There is not a lot of color in this book, but I didn't really mind because I think it helped create a feeling suspense.
The lesson behind this story I think is an important one for children of all ages to learn. I believe this book is conveying the message that the grass is not always greener on the other side and it is important to be appreciative of what you have. Also, this book could be used as a writing prompt for the students, they would write about a time when they were either faced with a choice that could result in an undesired result, then explain which choice they made and why. The illustrations do a good job of expressing mood even without extreme color changes by the way Van Allsburg uses depth and perception. So, this book can be used to teach students how to use different aspects of drawing to convey different messages or feeling in their own illustrations.
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