The Grasshopper and the AntWhen you work all summer to save up your crumbs You'll have no worries when wintertime comes.About Aesop's FablesWho was Aesop, and why are his fables famous all over the world? In fact, very little is known about this mysterious Ancient Greek figure. He is thought to have been a slave originally from Africa, but even that isn't known for certain. But his stories, with their talking animals and simple moral lessons, have been popular for thousands of years. They have been translated into almost every language and were among the first books to be printed when the printing press was invented in the 1400s. The most famous Aesop's Fable is probably the story of The Hare and the Tortoise, with its message that "slow and steady wins the race." Children everywhere have grown up loving these delightful short tales, learning and growing through their bond with these timeless classics.I grew up enjoying many of Aesop's fables and I'm excited to share them with you here in my own style, a little more contemporary and told in rhymes to make them fun to read and listen to. I hope you and your kids will love sharing these stories and learning from their messages just as much as I always have. ** Sigal Adler adds a new book to her impressive number of books for children. This time 'round she continues her survey of Aesop's Fables (THE GRASSHOPPER AND THE ANT is Book 2 of that series) and in doing so she not only provides quality reading entertainment, but also opens the path for children to appreciate beloved fables of yesteryear. Each of her books was written in Hebrew and as they became best sellers in Israel she decided to have them translated into English to benefit an even broader range of children. As always Sigal's rhyming style is delightful. The stories are not only entertaining but they also carry some subtle messages to those children fortunate enough to read them - or have them read to them. The books are enhanced by illustrator Abira Das. The Aesop fable Sigal uses describes how a hungry grasshopper begs for food from an ant when winter comes and is refused, the moral being the virtues of hard work and planning for the future. Sigal's retelling of the fable in rhyming fashion places a more positive stance and makes this important fable accessible to children and is a particular joy, summarizing the tale as follows: 'When you work all summer to save up your crumbs You'll have no worries when winter comes.' But on to the lyricism - 'Once a grasshopper lived near a sweet ant Wonderful neighbors around the same plant; Childhood friends so loyal and true, Good-hearted bugs they were through and through.' The ant uses her time in the spring to gather food while the grasshopper relaxes and lives for music, games, and play. But when winter comes the ant has her food and the grasshopper is left without friends, needing to depend on the friendship with the ant to survive. 'That's how they spent the winter that year Proving that friends are good to have near. A fun story with a solid message beautifully illustrated - and Sigal Adler successfully adds to her repertoire of fine children's books. Grady Harp