Children's Literature

Different species of ants are found in many parts of the world. This book features some of the flesh-eating killer ants like the army ants, driver ants, fire ants, and bulldog ants. These ants have large mandibles and stingers used for survival and protection. The book starts with a short vignette as army ants start to invade a camp in a tropical forest. There is brief information about non-killer ants before introducing the featured killer ants. The physical features, characteristics, and life cycle of the ants are described and there are detailed illustrations of the ants. There are headings that mark the start of each killer ant section in the book; however, there is no table of contents to direct the reader to different sections in the book. Perhaps the index at the back of the book may help the student or young, future myrmecologist who is doing some research on killer ants. The information about the way these particular ants live and survive is fascinating, and for some readers, it may seem gruesome. The subheadings provide more specific information about the ants. Many of the illustrations have italicized captions that provide more details, such as information about the body parts or how the fire ants attack. Fascinating information awaits students interested in killer ants. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung