The Grasshopper's Song: An Aesop's Fable Revisited - Hardcover

Giovanni, Nikki

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763630217 ISBN 13: 9780763630218

Publisher: Candlewick, 2008

Synopsis

Artfully retold by a renowned poet and illustrated with energy and charm by a Caldecott Medalist, this twist on an Aesop fable is as witty as
it is satisfying.

Every year the Grasshoppers sing and play their instruments and the Ants work in rhythm to the music. The crops come up smoothly, and the Ants bring in the harvest to the Grasshoppers’ beat. But when winter comes, the Ants turn their backs on the Grasshoppers, and Jimmy Grasshopper finds this unfair. He’s hired Robin, Robin, Robin, and Wren to sue Abigail and Nestor Ant for what he deserves — R-E-S-P-E-C-T — and a one-half share of the harvest. But will a jury of his peers agree about the worth of art?

About this title

About the Author:

Nikki Giovanni is the author of the award-winning bestseller ROSA, illustrated by Bryan Collier, as well as ON MY JOURNEY NOW: LOOKING AT AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH THE SPIRITUALS and many other books for children and adults. A University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, Nikki Giovanni lives in Christiansburg, Virginia.

Chris Raschka has illustrated many celebrated picture books, including the poetry anthologies A POKE IN THE I and A KICK IN THE HEAD, edited by Paul B. Janeczko, as well as the Dylan Thomas classic A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES. The recipient of both a Caldecott Medal and a Caldecott Honor, Chris Raschka lives in New York.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 2–5—"The Ant and the Grasshopper" is Aesop's moralistic story about working hard in order to reap rewards. In this version, Grasshopper finds himself shut out of a share of the harvest once again and decides to sue the Ants. After all, he serenaded them as they worked all summer long and it was the rhythm of his music that helped them stay on task and bring in a significant harvest. The Ants never actually asked him to play, though, did they? Lawyers take the case and the fable's focus shifts from the value of hard work to the important place that art holds in our lives. The book is reminiscent of Toni and Slade Morrison's Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper? (S & S, 2007), and both titles lend themselves to a serious debate about the value of art. Pairing the two, given their different endings, would enrich the discussion greatly. This version would make a powerful reader's theater for students to role-play following discussion. Raschka's watercolors keep this story solidly in the realm of fable while Giovanni's words make it somewhat more realistic. This version of the story would work well across the elementary grades because of its length and the sophistication of theme.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
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About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0763630217
• ISBN 13: 9780763630218
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 56
• Illustrator: Raschka Chris