It’s high summer in the meadow where Alice the ant and Gert the grasshopper live. Alice is hard at work preparing for winter, harvesting heavy loads of seeds. Meanwhile, Gert prefers to play, since winter is ages away. Gert dances through the long days of summer, singing, performing, and creating art out of flowers and leaves. Alice tries to convince Gert to work, but Gert wants to have fun—and to entertain Alice, too! She hates to see Alice work so hard.
When winter arrives, Gert’s nest is cold and her food supplies are low. But rather than refusing to share, Alice acknowledges the value of Gert’s work and the beauty of the art that lightened her load. Alice repays Gert’s kindness by sharing her hard-won food.
Based on the classic story of the ant and grasshopper, this is a modern fable with a heartwarming twist that values diverse contributions and honors friendship and the power of art.
Reviews:
"With a nod to the relationship between Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas (seen in the author’s dedication statement), this enchanting picture book from Canada tells the story of artistic Gert, a “sweet, flighty” grasshopper, and Alice, a hardworking ant. Gert spends the beautiful summer days soaking up the sunshine and cajoling Alice—who endlessly schleps food to her nest in preparation for the lean days of winter—to “relax and enjoy this fine weather.” Alice reminds Gert of winter’s looming onset, but Gert brushes her off in an affectionate way. For her own part, Gert livens up Alice’s hardworking days by composing and performing a song for her and acting out a pirate play she wrote (accompanied by delightfully droll spot illustrations). When the inevitable season of winter comes, Gert wakes up to the consequences of her actions. But after a gentle remonstrance, Alice repays Gert’s entertainment with generosity. The storyline is quiet, but it is sound and solid, and while the narrative speaks linearly, the whimsical illustrations round out the story with depth and nuance. The ant and the grasshopper are softly rendered and oh-so-subtly animated (most especially by the engaging luminosity in their big bug eyes), and insects never looked so cuddly. The soft, pale, earth-toned palette is as easy on the eyes as the gentle story is on the mind.
Graceful, kind, and altogether soothing."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Alice the ant works hard every day to prepare for winter. Gert the grasshopper, on the other hand, prefers to sing, play make-believe, and create art. When winter comes at last, Gert finds that she doesn't have any food saved up. But instead of turning her away to starve, Alice offers to share with her friend; after all, Gert's amusements helped make Alice's work easier, and the ant feels it's only right to share the bounty.
I'm not a fan of the original story in which the grasshopper is punished for being itself. (And let's not forget the fact that a grasshopper doesn't live long enough to experience a summer and a winter.) I wasn't quite sure where the author was going with this, as I saw Gert doing such nice things for Alice while she was working, and I was afraid Alice was going to turn around and be nasty (like in the original story). I'm glad that wasn't what happened.
Alice & Gert is a sweet story about friendship, kindness, sharing, and placing value on non-material things. Fans of fables and animal characters will likely enjoy this one."
- The Ladybug Reads
"BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Alice is an ant, Gert a grasshopper. All summer and into the fall, Alice works tirelessly filling her nest with seeds for the winter, Gert, on the other hand, enjoys the warm days while she sings songs, writes plays and dances. Soon the leaves turn red - winter is on its way. Alice is ready, but what will become of Gert?
Beautifully illustrated by Dena Seiferling, this retelling retains the original story, but it feels fresh. I loved the changing of the seasons as Gert's favorite snack changed from "soft green" to "dry". I loved the friendship and the gentle way Alice kept reminding Gert she was busy for a reason. Gert is so fun and creative - a great friend to take a break with."
- Kiss the Book
"Ever-industrious Alice spends the summer gathering food for the winter while her grasshopper friend and companion Gert sings songs, makes up rollicking stories and creates a dance that moves Alice to tears. But what happens when winter comes and Gert isn’t just cold but hungry as well? Alice offers to share her seeds and grain with her friend whose creative efforts lightened her workload. Seiferling’s lovely graphite illustrations are just perfect for this exquisitely tender story. It’s also a wonderful homage to Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.
-- The Globe and Mail
"Messages in books may sometimes become preachy if told in a heavy-handed way. Those is Alice & Gert are not. Written by award-winning author Helaine Becker, Alice & Gert is in no way moralizing or sanctimonious. Helaine Becker could have written Alice to be self-righteous, knowing that her hard work would allow her to survive the winter and Gert as flighty and irresponsible but she does neither. While Helaine Becker’s retelling of "The Ant and the Grasshopper" recognizes that hard work is beneficial to all and that responsibility is virtuous, she still acknowledges the worth of creativity.
Calgary’s Dena Seiferling, whose illustrations helped earn her first picture book nominations for the Marilyn Baillie and Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver awards, carries the two characters through the seasons with only slight changes in her palette, from the greens of summer to the browns and golds of fall to the greys, browns and white of winter. Her illustrations are as classic as the fable, having used her pencil to create profound scenes that are steeped in atmosphere and characters evocative with feeling. From the dramatic Gert who never looks silly as she enjoys her creative pursuits to the tireless Alice who takes the time, amidst her work, to feel, Dena Seiferling makes us appreciate the depth of the story through her characters and the setting.
Hard work may drive survival but creativity makes it endurable. Besides, with a dose of kindness, hard work and creativity can be balanced, as Alice and Gert learn."
--Canlit for Little Canadians
"The story makes for an ideal read aloud with young children. The written text is infused with voice and interesting vocabulary, yet it is not so complex that young readers would not be able to understand. As the story is a fresh take on a traditional fable, it ends with a subtle moral about kindness, hard work, and friendship. The book also celebrates diversity and recognises that each individual possesses something of value. While young readers will particularly enjoy Alice & Gert, the moral is appropriate for readers of all ages."
Recommended. - CM Magazine
