SINCERELY, ANTONIA

In this picture book, a visiting ant leaves a note for the little boy whose untidy eating habits have provided her cohorts with so much food.

Jay, a brown-haired, big-eyed white boy with a chunky build, is a chaotic eater. He is always dropping crumbs, spilling drinks, chewing with his mouth open, and leaving scraps of food lying about. This is vexing for his parents, but very good news for Antonia, a blue-striped ant, and her plain black brothers and sisters, who have taken Jay’s scraps as an invitation to holiday at his house. Unfortunately for the ants, Jay’s parents’ cleaning efforts have escalated into outright anti-ant behavior. That is why Antonia has written a note in discarded chocolate-cake icing bidding Jay thank you and farewell—“We’re retreating to new (and safer) terrain”—and arranging to meet him in his treehouse. Cino presents Antonia’s note in a chocolate-colored, faux printed font across a combination of single- and double-page spreads. Each text block is edged by messy ant footprints, and the busy meanderings of Antonia and the others bring a sense of happy disorder. Bentley’s dawn-hued digital illustrations evince both a distinct style and a delightful deftness of touch—as in an apple core and banana skin, and Jay’s dad powdering a melon rind with ant poison. Jay is a relatable character whose behavior and motivations will be easily recognized by young readers. The ants, though expressionless, exhibit an endearing collective personality.

A gleeful embracing of childhood mess and disorder.