This magnificent rendition of a classic Aesop fable by a Caldecott Medal-winning artist teaches children: Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today!   In this stunning companion to the Caldecott Medal-winning The Lion & the Mouse and the highly acclaimed The Tortoise & the Hare , a playful grasshopper wonders why the busy ants around him won't join in his merrymaking as the seasons pass by. But when winter arrives, he soon sees the value of his friends' hard work--just as the ants learn the value of sharing what they've worked for. Featuring a striking, surprise gatefold page, this third book in Jerry Pinkney's gorgeous trilogy of picture book fables subtly shows the pitfalls of procrastination.   Don't miss these other classic retellings by Jerry Pinkney: The Little Mermaid The Lion & the Mouse The Tortoise & the Hare The Three Billy Goats Gruff Little Red Riding Hood Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star PreS-Gr 2—Grasshopper arrives on the cover with bass drum and cymbals on his back, concertina between his midlegs, and forelegs strumming his banjo. "Why work so hard?" he sings to some busy ants. "It's spring and time to go fishing." But the ants, gathering food for winter, have no time to relax. In summer, the ants decline Grasshopper's invitation for a leafy picnic and some music, and his fall solicitation to "come dance and sing!" in the "playground of leaves" finds no takers. When snowflakes fall, Grasshopper builds a "snow-hopper," then sits freezing with forelegs and midlegs crossed over vest-covered abdomen, while the ants can be seen knitting, stoking the fire, and caring for their young in a cozy tree trunk home. Eventually invited inside by the Ant Queen, fun-loving Grasshopper gladly shares his musical talents with the amiable colony, then sits down to songs, tea, and cookies with the queen. Full-page vivid watercolor paintings bustling with natural activity and fanciful detail flow through the hues of the seasons, ending in the spare whiteness of winter. Fine line pencil-drawn strings and frets on his banjo, intricate snowflake shapes, the lace of a dragonfly's wings, and the colorful flow of musical bars all demonstrate Pinkney's painstaking concern with detail. So does the way a small bit of leafy scenery on the lower front flyleaf blends perfectly into the spring woodland greenery on the endpapers. VERDICT A lively and engaging version of a favorite Aesop fable.—Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH Praise for The Grasshopper & The Ants : A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2015 A Bank Street College Distinguished Children's Book A 2015 NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Book *"Full-page vivid watercolor paintings bustling with natural activity and fanciful detail flow through the hues of the seasons, ending in the spare whiteness of winter....A lively and engaging version of a favorite Aesop fable."― School Library Journal, starred review *"Pinkney suggests that the world is better when everyone can follow his or her own gifts."― Publishers Weekly, starred review *"From an unparalleled artist, another brilliant work."― Kirkus Reviews, starred review "The incomparable Pinkney... again turns an Aesop fable into a tale of great beauty and moral complexity. In... stunningly detailed watercolors, it's a celebration of both productivity and art, and a call for generosity toward the down and out."― The New York Times "Luckily the master fairy tale and fable adapter Jerry Pinkney... has come to our rescue again.... What [he] delivers is a new classic."― Boston Globe "Pinkney's woodland scenes, in his signature style, teem with recognizable flora, insects, and seasonal activity...none of it to be missed."― Horn Book "Pinkney creates another visually stunning re-telling of a fable.... Beautifully detailed and expressive watercolor drawings."― School Library Connection Jerry Pinkney  is one of the most heralded children's book illustrators of all time. He has the rare distinction of being the recipient of five Caldecott Honors and the winner of the 2010 Caldecott medal for  The Lion and the Mouse . He has published numerous reimagined classic tales, including  The Little Mermaid, The Tortoise & the Hare, The   Grasshopper & the Ants, The Three Billy Goats Gruff,   Little Red Riding Hood , and  Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star . He has won the Coretta Scott King Award five times, the Coretta Scott King Honor four times, and has been nominated for the prestigious Hans Christian Anderson Award. He was also the first children's book illustrator elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He lives with his wife, author Gloria Jean Pinkney, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. The artist invites you to visit his website at jerrypinkneystudio.com.