Little Ant and the Mantis

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?

It is so easy to freak out and get upset when things don’t go our way, especially when we feel trapped and hopeless. When Little Ant gets trapped in a jar with a group of bugs, only the mantis doesn’t get upset, which upsets Little Ant even more! As usual, Little Ant doesn’t think that there is anything another bug can teach him. Then the mantis invites the fuming Little Ant to sit down beside him and just breathe. When he does, Little Ant finds that after a while, his angry feelings fade away. Free to think clearly, he is able to solve his problem. This is a great story to spark a discussion with your little one about the value of taking a moment to calm down in a difficult situation. Reading this story aloud is also an opportunity to encourage your child to think about and express gratitude for the good things they have in their life.

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.

About the Series

The Little Ant Books were created with social emotional learning (SEL) in mind. Kids learn best by example. Little Ant often acts on his big feelings before taking a moment to think about what he is doing. As they see Little Ant learn from his mistakes, kids will develop a deeper understanding of their own emotions. The stories can be used as a learning tool to help kids discover the small gap that exists between feeling and acting – a gap in which thinking and choosing how we want to behave is possible, no matter how we feel.

The stories 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, they 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.

Visit the Free Digital Downloads tab of the publisher’s website (shelfspacebooks.com) for an extensive selection of companion resources to go along with the Little Ant Books, like social emotional learning (SEL) / character education lessons plans, SEL activities, and coloring books.

Author Biography

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.