The Hill

Grant the ant has put a lot of hard work into building an anthill for his entire family. And then Jermaine the giraffe comes along, laughing and thinking it’s funny, to destroy all of Grant’s hard work. Jermaine is pleased with his destruction, and decides to do the same thing to the next anthill he find–but the next one belongs to Grant’s mean little brother, who mobilizes the other ants to attack Jermaine in retaliation! Those ant bites hurt! Jermaine is surprised when Grant steps into the fray to stop his brother, reminding him that revenge is bad and that we should all aspire to follow the golden rule.

Jessica Crews has written a lovely little picture book that will monetarily benefit her foundation, No Hill Too High, which helps provide music therapy to individuals with special needs. The Hill tells the story of how Jermaine the giraffe learns to mend his thoughtless ways and treat others the way he would like to be treated himself, which is a moral that all parents can happily get on board with. Some parents may be bothered by the mild religious undertone toward the end. The story is relatively well-written, told in rhyme that generally flows pretty smoothly. Curious children will enjoy the additional facts about giraffes and ants at the end of the story, which could easily spark an interest in learning even more. Illustrations by Yulia Potts are adorable, featuring personable characters, bright colors, and silly antics brought to life. Little ones who love animals and rhyming will no doubt thoroughly enjoy The Hill, and parents will be pleased to oblige with reading it over and over again.