City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions

PreS-Gr 3–Inspired by the world of leafcutter ants in the rainforests of Central and South America, Hevron vividly renders a fascinating, fact-based story about these industrious insects. Leafcutter ants, not unlike humans, carry out essential roles that allow their vast underground society to function. This is the story of a robust leafcutter ant society, the size of New York City, somewhere in Central America. An underground network of millions, it began when a young leafcutter ant queen who after mating, dug into the soil and created the society’s first chamber. She laid eggs and—fast forward some years—the population boomed to eight million ants. There are foragers, waste management crews, farmers, soldiers, caretakers, pharmacists, and more. Every ant contributes to this thriving world and the larger rainforest ecosystem. Hevron’s illustrations brilliantly support the text with rich, bold colors. City of Leafcutter Ants is well-paced for a book that is dense with interesting tidbits. Back matter includes a longer explication of the text, bibliography, further reading, a visual of ant jobs, and author’s note.