Product Description

Jacob would rather play with his trains than get dressed and go shopping. But when he reluctantly prepares to put on his pants, he finds they are full of ants! Much to his delightand much to Mum's consternationeach ensuing piece of clothing contains a creature or two as wella fox in his socks, geese in his fleece, kittens in his mittens, and so on . . . and it seems as though Jacob will never be fully dressed. But then the promise of newly fallen snow tempts him outside, and Mum gets a surprise of her own when she goes to put on her hat. Genuine toddler humor and simple rhymes guarantee that this lively tale will be a hit, especially with young children still refining their dressing skills.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #280557 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-20
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .1 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

From Amazon.co.uk
Ants in my Pants is an excellent book, beautifully written and illustrated by newcomer Wendy Mould. A storm is brewing between a mother and her child. Jacob doesn't want to go shopping with his mum. It's cold outside and he doesn't want to get dressed. The battle of wills begins, mum being determined to coax Jacob into getting dressed, but there are problems. Jacob's imagination starts to work overtime: he can't get dressed, as there are ants in his pants, a fox in his socks, geese in his fleece, and lots of other animals lurking in his clothes. Good nature and humour prevail, however, and all is resolved. Children everywhere will adore this book, not only for the amusing story but also for the colourful and life-like illustrations (three years and older). --Susan Naylor

From Publishers Weekly
Jacob would much rather stick around the house in his pajamas and play with his toy train than go shopping with his mother. So he counters her attempts to roust him with a chronic case of the sillies. Asked to put on his trousers, the boy responds, "I can't. I have ants in my pants" and in his mind's eye, he sees a picnic's worth of insects crawling up his legs. The imaginary menagerie occupying Jacob's wardrobe grows: there's a fox in his socks, a goat in his coat and even newts in his boots. The woman's initial chipperness is almost exhausted when she discovers a new snowfall outside, and wisely postpones shopping for a frolic with her son and his pretend partners in procrastination. Mould, a British sculptor making her debut in children's books, unfolds her battle of wills in a series of neatly rendered, slightly cartoonish watercolor and ink vignettes. Much of the book's charm resides in how natural the burgeoning population of clothes-loving animals look in Jacob's house. Ages 3-6.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
reS-Gr 2-On a cold winter morning, Jacob settles down to play with his toy trains in front of a cozy fire. When his mother asks him to get dressed to go shopping, he is reluctant to leave and tries to delay the inevitable. First he insists that there are ants in his pants, but his mother makes him put them on anyway. Next, Jacob finds a fox in his socks, geese in his fleece shirt, a goat in his coat, etc., until he is finally almost ready, and Mum is just about at the end of her patience. When the boy discovers that snow has fallen, he quickly pulls on his hat and mittens and races out the door to play, accompanied by his imaginary menagerie. Mum agrees to cancel the shopping trip and goes back inside to get her hat, which is being occupied by the family cat. The straightforward language, a repeated refrain, and rhyming words make this story fun to read aloud. The appealing watercolor artwork, outlined with black ink, is filled with the details of everyday life. Mould uses muted tones for backgrounds and highlights the characters with brighter hues. Some illustrations show Jacob and his smiling new friends interacting together, while others focus on his mother's growing impatience. Observant viewers will notice that most of the animals the boy conjures up are introduced early on as part of his train set. A clever take on a common battle of the wills between parent and child.

Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.