I discovered author and illustrator Bill Peet this winter when Tanya Arnold of Biblioguides suggested that I look at his books. It has been a few years since I was collecting and researching picture books, and somehow I had never heard of him before. I have read three of his books and have short reviews for each. As I read others, I will update this list. As my reviews will indicate, I think Kermit the Hermitis a gem worth searching out. I think The Ant and the Elephant has a certain charm. And I think Big Bad Bruce has some things that are worth noting. One thing I like about Bill Peet’s books is that they are in print and readily accessible. It is likely that your public library or private lending library may have some of his books available.
This twist on a fable is thought-provoking. Believe it or not, I read it aloud to my teenagers, and they all enjoyed it but had strong reactions to the ending. I think this is a book worth seeking if you can do so without much trouble or expense.
In this story, an ant is caught on a branch in the middle of a river. The turtle is selfish and will not help because he doesn’t want to go to the trouble. When the turtle gets knocked over, a hornbill looking on will not help because he cannot repay her anything. And when the hornbill loses an egg out of her nest, no one wants to help her either. And so on and so on. One by one, the animals in the jungle refuse to help a smaller animal in need and then find themselves abandoned by bigger animals when they are in trouble. All until the elephant comes along. The elephant joyfully helps each animal even though they are rude and ungrateful in response. All except for the ant. The ant thanks the elephant, who replies that it was nothing at all. The ant wisely says that it was everything to him. When the elephant finds itself in trouble, it is the ant who comes to his aid.
Part of the charm of Kermit is that it feels timeless. The Ant and the Elephant should feel timeless, but the writing sounds modern and slightly less lovely than in Kermit.
As with Kermit, I appreciate the colored pencil illustration. That part does feel timeless and inviting. Different from Kermit, this one is not told in rhyme. Instead, it is told in typical picture book prose, but in it, Peet uses the most delicious words for sounds. These words feel good in the mouth when reading aloud: zump, blump, Heave-ho! Up you go!
My teens were not impressed with the animals in the jungle who failed to help someone who could do nothing for them. They were disgusted by the animals who were ungrateful when the elephant did help them. And while they were impressed with the ant, they felt like the story was disappointing because there was no conversion of the other animals. I think this book can be good for discussion. The reality is that much of the world can be like this. It was a good opportunity to talk about the nobility of the elephant for helping those who cannot repay the favor. And it was important to note that the ant responds correctly when the elephant helps him. But more than that, when it was in the ant’s power to repay the favor, he did so in a big way. That’s another good life lesson.