Little Ant and the Mantis: Count Your Blessings (Paperback or Softback)

Little Ant is having the worst day ever. Then he meets a praying mantis who is able to remain happy, even in the most difficult of circumstances. Will Little Ant learn his secret?

This is an original story, inspired by Aesop's "The Hares and the Frogs," which teaches that there is always someone worse off than yourself. Little Ant's story avoids comparing oneself to others, and focuses instead on recognizing and appreciating the good things in one's life. The moral: count your blessings.

Little Ant and the Mantis aligns with the following Social Emotional Learning (SEL) themes: identifying feelings, self-regulation (calming down), social awareness/relationship skills, problem-solving, understanding the consequences of actions, and respect for self and others.

ABOUT THE SERIES

The Little Ant books are reimaginings of Aesop's classic fables, teaching timeless lessons like "appearances can be deceiving" and "one good turn deserves another." Brought to life by Tina Perko's vibrant and whimsical illustrations, the stories follow Little Ant as he navigates through the challenges and frustrations of growing up. Little Ant's adventures provide him with opportunities to build character and learn valuable lessons about friendship, kindness, empathy, teamwork, courage, and the importance of being yourself.

S.M.R. Saia is the author of two book series for children: the Little Ant Books (read aloud stories for ages 3 to 5) and the Gertie in the Garden books (garden-themed early reader chapter books for ages 6 to 9). Her professional experience in the book world includes owning a corporate book fair business and freelancing as a self-publishing coach. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. For the past several years she has worked developing English Language Arts Worksheets for K - 12, using creative strategies to present, teach, and provide students with an opportunity to practice grade-appropriate Language Arts concepts and skills.

Tina Perko was born in Ljubljana in 1971. She holds a Masters degree in fashion design from Instituto Marangoni in Milano, Italy. For the last 10 years she has been illustrating picture books and writing stories. She has also been a contributor to children's magazines. Today, Tina is a well-established Slovenian illustrator with many books published. She is represented by the Swiss Milan Illustration Agency (MIA) and works for clients worldwide.