Last month, BayNews began listing suggestions for Storytimes to go along with the Catch the Reading Bug Summer Reading theme. Of course, you can (and should) expand the theme to include other topics besides insects. To me, it naturally lends itself to all types of science and environmental themes, including habitats, recycling, nature, etc.

Be sure to sing "The Ants Go Marching" at the start and at the end of this storytime! For a craft project, you could make an egg carton ant, as seen at http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/insects/mant.htm or make a 4th of July Ant Centerpiece, seen at http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/fourth-of-july/kids-crafts/ant-picnic-centerpiece.html for a more elaborate craft project.

Those titles marked T will be suitable for a Toddler Storytime as well as the traditional preschool storytime.

Climo, Shirley. THE LITTLE RED ANT AND THE GREAT BIG CRUMB.
   In this Mexican fable, an ant thinks he needs help lifting a crumb of cake, so he asks various animals to assist him.

Nickle, John. THE ANT BULLY.
   After squirting ants with his water gun, Lucas shrinks to the size of an ant to feel what it is like to be bullied. This book was made into an animated film in 2006.

Wells, Rosemary. MAX'S ABC. T
   Escaping from the ant farm, Max's ants crawl over everything in this alphabet book.

Heap, Sue. ANTS IN YOUR PANTS. T
   In this rhyming counting book with flaps, ants in pants end the simple story.

Pinczes, Elinor. ONE HUNDRED HUNGRY ANTS.
   While marching to a picnic, the 100 ants form different groups to show readers how to count by tens, or twenties, etc.

Edwards, Pamela Duncan. THE WACKY WEDDING: A BOOK OF ALPHABET ANTICS.
   At the wedding of two ants, various animals in attendance experience several accidents at the reception.

Mizumura, Kazue. THE WAY OF AN ANT.
   An ant tries to climb a hill as high as the sky.

Poole, Amy. THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER.
   This retelling of Aesop's fable is set in China, and tells of a hardworking group of ants who prepare for the winter, while Grasshopper does nothing to get ready.

McDonald, Megan. ANT AND HONEY BEE - WHAT A PAIR.
   Ant and Bee dress up for a costume party.

Prince, Joshua. I SAW AN ANT ON THE RAILROAD TRACK.
   The engineer tries to stop the train before it runs over an ant.

Van Allsburg, Chris. TWO BAD ANTS.
   After they venture out on their own, two ants realize they need to return to the safety of the colony.