Katja Bargum brings her research expertise to this fascinating nonfiction book about the superpower of ants. Each page abounds with fun facts, diagrams, and unbelievable information about ants that will have readers immediately engaged. This book is an excellent resource for introducing and supporting the big ideas of biology in the primary Science curriculum. The clear and concise facts accompanied by great visuals make this text accessible for young audiences to practice beginning research and use text features for gathering information. The level of detail that the author brings to this book is owed to firsthand experience and her countless hours studying and researching the social life of ants.

This is an excellent example of finding reliable sources of information and inspiration for nature enthusiasts to stay curious and follow their passions. Students might use this book as a springboard for their own nonfiction texts as they practice researching the superpowers of other animal species.

Other End Matter: None
Images: Colour illustrations
Bibliography: No
Index: Yes

Evaluator: Shannon S., School Librarian, BC Books for Schools

Katja Bargum is a Finnish writer, science journalist and former ant researcher. She received her PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Helsinki and wrote her dissertation on the social life of ants. As a researcher, Katja counted tens of thousands of ants. She then set out on a career in media, working as a science writer, an editor in chief of a scientific journal and a media producer. Her first nonfiction book won the 2009 Finnish State Award for Public Information, and she has also published a popular science book about ants for adults. Katja lives in Helsinki.

Katja Bargum's profile page

Jenny Lucander is an illustrator and children’s book creator whose works have won and been nominated for many awards, including the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize, the Runeberg Junior Prize and the Elsa Beskow Plaque. In 2022 she was nominated for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Jenny studied children’s book illustration and creation, as well as storytelling, at the School of Design and Crafts at the University of Gothenburg. She lives in Helsinki.

Jenny Lucander's profile page

B.J. Woodstein is a Swedish-to-English translator, writer and editor, as well as an honorary professor of literature and translation at the University of East Anglia. She enjoyed telling her daughters all the ant facts she learned while translating this book and now has a newfound respect for ants. B.J. lives in Norwich, England, with her wife and daughters.

B.J. Woodstein's profile page

“Informational text features and an abundance of facts make this book a very engaging read! This book would be a great addition to a science classroom or home library of an insect lover.”

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“Its fascinating contents of 'Amazing Facts and Feats' simply demand to be shared. Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials