Digger is not living his best life. In fact, he is being treated like a servant in his own home. Digger spends day and night waiting on his stepbrothers and their hateful mother. He’s a worker ant, but this doesn’t mean he should be doing all of the work. He lives with their threats, snide remarks, and insults day in and day out. Nothing he does is ever good enough for anyone. Soon, it’s time for the Queen’s Gala and the queen to choose a husband for Princess Antilles. Will Digger be among those lucky enough to attend, or will he be at home buried under the usual mountain of chores?

Digger: The Colony Worker Ant, written by Christian Kueng and illustrated by Nana Melkadze, is an amusing version of Cinderella centered around the members of an ant colony. Digger, the story’s main character, will draw young readers into the tale with his many woes and his determination to make it to the gala alongside the others. Readers familiar with Cinderella’s story will easily recognize elements from the classic fairy tale and enjoy comparing and contrasting the two stories.

I especially enjoyed the bits of humor peppered throughout Kueng’s writing. Kueng has taken the well-known narrative and given it new life and a new look. From the fantastic illustrations of Digger decked out in leather and sunglasses to the hilarious side-eye doled out by his cranky stepbrothers, this book is a hit for young readers from cover to cover.

Digger: The Colony Worker Ant is an entertaining and engaging children’s book that children and adults will enjoy. I highly recommend this Cinderella tale to any teacher putting together a fairy tale unit for the upcoming school year. Elementary readers will thoroughly enjoy drawing comparisons between Digger’s life and Cinderella’s as they point out the more modern elements.

Pages: 40 | ASIN : B0BZT59GJ6