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Only Ants for Andy is a pure delight from start to finish. Anyone who has had a picky eater in their life will recognize the particularity Andy has for all his things. He only likes one kind of toy, one song, one friend and of course, only one food. But when he gets the chance to spend time at his friend’s house, he has to make some choices about how to deal with new things.
One of the wonderful things about this story is there is no parental coercion related to expanding Andy’s choices or the battle over dinner that so many parents face. The story is told by Andy who is matter of fact about what he likes and why. In the end the choice to expand his options comes from within himself. He realizes he needs to try something new for the sake of his friend Sam, who has a severe allergy to his favorite food. He thinks about the options and decides he can take the risk to try something new because the new things he has tried up to this point have all worked out okay.
Besides the story, the artwork is adorable. Andy is a wide-eyed anteater and the illustration of how he looks around creates a feel of a little kid side-eyeing something they don’t like, squeezing their eyes shut or being surprised. The scenes of bedrooms and toys are all colorfully depicted and look like some place any kid would want to spend time.
The story would work well for many readings and allow parents to discuss the topics with their little ones. After a few readings, it would be simple to add in some conversations with your little one about things they do or don’t like, and how they might be brave like Andy. Or if there was a time they thought they would not like something, but then it turned out to be good. At the end, try drawing the connection about how Andy might handle the next situation, now that he has discovered he can like more things, and how that might relate to your own life.
Andy is an adorable creature who will bring joy to your storytime reading with a wonderful combination of thoughtfulness and silliness, and will definitely bring a smile to your face.
I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley and Norton Young Readers in exchange for an honest review.
