Hello, friends! I’m Ryan, and I’m here with my buddy Craig. We’re so excited to share a fun story with you today! If you enjoy our stories, you can find more on our website or follow us on Instagram. We love hearing from you, so feel free to send us a message!
Before we start, we want to say a big hello to Mrs. Balancer’s and Mademoiselle Smiles’ class in Ottawa, Ontario. Thanks for sending us today’s book! We can’t wait to read it with you.
Our story today is called “Hey, Little Ant,” written by Philip and Hannah and illustrated by Debbie Tilly. Let’s dive into this fun adventure!
In the story, a kid sees a little ant on the ground and thinks about squishing it with his shoe. But wait! The ant starts to talk and asks the kid not to squish it. The ant explains that it has a family and friends, just like the kid does!
The ant tells the kid that it helps its family by finding food and taking care of baby ants. Even though the ant is small, it plays a big role in its world. The ant asks the kid to think about how it would feel if someone big tried to squish him.
The story makes us think about how we treat others, even tiny creatures like ants. The kid has to decide whether to squish the ant or let it go free. What do you think the kid should do?
Did you know that ants are amazing little creatures? They live in big groups called colonies, and they work together to find food and build their homes. Ants are very strong for their size and can carry things much heavier than themselves!
Just like in the story, it’s important to be kind to all living things. Even though ants are small, they have important jobs and families too. Next time you see an ant, remember this story and think about how you can be kind to it.
We hope you enjoyed “Hey, Little Ant” as much as we did. Remember, being kind and understanding is important, no matter how big or small someone is. Thanks for joining us for Story Time, and we can’t wait to share another adventure with you soon!
Ant Observation Walk: Go on a short walk around your garden, park, or schoolyard and look for ants. Watch how they move and what they do. Can you see them carrying food or working together? Draw a picture of what you see and share it with your friends or family. Talk about why you think ants are important in nature.
Create an Ant Colony Model: Use clay or playdough to create a model of an ant colony. Include tunnels, rooms for the queen, and areas where ants store food. As you build, think about how ants work together to build their homes and how each ant has a special job. Share your model with your class and explain what each part of the colony does.
Kindness Role-Play: With a friend or family member, act out a scene where you meet an ant. One person can be the ant, and the other can be the kid from the story. Practice having a conversation where the ant explains why it shouldn’t be squished. Discuss how it feels to be kind and how you can show kindness to other creatures in real life.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Hey, I’m Ryan the God, and I’m Craig Tobey. Welcome to Story Time with Ryan and Craig! Remember, if you like what you see, follow us on Instagram or visit our website to check out all of our content. You can also send us a message; we love hearing from you!
I have something to say, Ryan. I want to give a shout-out to Mrs. Balancer’s and Mademoiselle Smiles’ Grade Two French Immersion class in Ottawa, Ontario. Thanks for sending us today’s book, guys! We can’t wait to read it because today’s book is “Hey, Little Ant” by Philip and Hannah, with illustrations by Debbie Tilly. Let’s get started!
“Hey, Little Ant” by Philip and Hannah, illustrated by Debbie Tilly.
Hey, little ant in the crack, can you hear me? Can you talk back? See my shoe? Can you see that? Well, now it’s gonna squish you flat!
Oh no! Don’t squish ants! What’s wrong? They give you birthday cards. They could be your cousins or even your dad or mom. You don’t want to squish them!
No, I don’t, but Ryan, you’re talking about aunts and uncles, right?
No, we’re talking about insect ants!
Oh, well, don’t squish them either!
Yeah, but especially not your aunt! Please, oh please, do not squish me! Change your mind and let me be. I’m on my way with a crumb of pie. Please, oh please, don’t make me die!
Okay, anyone knows that ants can feel. You’re so tiny; you don’t look real. I’m so big, and you’re so small. I don’t think you’ll hurt at all, but you are a giant, and giants can’t know how it feels to be an ant. Come down close; I think you’ll see that you are very much like me.
Yeah, exactly! We can have a lot of things in common with ants!
Totally! My aunt and I both love movies. Our favorite food is pizza, and our birthdays are close together!
Yes, insect ants, not your dad’s sister, right?
No, yeah, so what? What would we have in common with insect ants’ lives?
Let’s keep reading!
Kid, are you crazy? I have a home and a family too! You’re just a speck that runs around. No one would care if my foot came down!
Oh, big friend, you are so wrong! My nestmates need me because I am strong. I dig a nest and feed baby ants too. I must not die beneath your shoe!
But my mom says ants are rude. They carry off our picnic food; they steal our chips and bread crumbs. It’s good if I squish a crook like you, ant!
Hey, I’m not a crook! Read my lips! Sometimes ants need crumbs and chips. One little chip can feed my town, so please don’t make your shoe come down!
Hey, that’s true! One chip could feed a lot of ants. Well, they have two ants, so I’m gonna need more than one chip. Maybe a whole bag of chips, right?
Are you talking about your human aunts again?
I think we’re talking about the exact same thing!
Great, ’cause I’m talking about little tiny insects. Are you calling my aunts insects? That is rude!
I apologize, Aunt Mary and Aunt Barbara!
Stop it! I can see you’re big and strong. Decide for yourself what’s right and wrong. If you were me and I were you, what would you want me to do?
Whoa, that is huge!
Yeah, that’s the biggest thing I’ve ever seen! I mean, my aunt’s only five foot seven, which I think is average height for an ant.
Ryan, yes, we’re talking about insects for the last time! Please don’t forget!
Okay, got it! Insects, insects, insects! My aunt’s favorite color is red. Should the ant get squished? Should the ant go free? It’s up to the kid, not up to me.
We’ll leave the kid with the raised-up shoe. What do you think that kid should do?
Well, what happened to the ant? I’m gonna get to the bottom of this!
Who are you calling?
My Aunt Mary. Hi, Aunt Mary! Are you okay?
She’s fine, cranky. Tell her I said hi!
Oh, Craig says hi from Story Time with Ryan!
You’ve never seen Story Time with Ryan and Craig? Wow!
I called to make sure you weren’t squished, and you know what? You squished me!
How?
You squished my feelings!
And mine!
And Craig’s!
I just went over this!
“Hey, Little Ant” by Philip and Hannah, illustrated by Debbie Tilly.
[Music]
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains the essence of the original transcript.
