Milo the Knight

PreS-Gr 1–An anthropomorphic ant wraps himself in armor to protect himself from the world but learns shedding his armor will also shed his fear. Milo takes his role as a knight very seriously, believing he is protecting the colony (even though “nobody has even seen a dragon in the past 10,000 years”), but “sometimes he wishes he could have other friends, like the court jesters.” The jesters, with their colorful costumes and various instruments, are seen in jovial contrast to Milo’s knight friends in their muted armor and masks with only their eyes showing. Everything changes for Milo when an unusually strong and lengthy rain rusts his armor. A jester agrees to fix Milo’s armor if he will take it off, but when the gear breaks into tiny pieces, Milo realizes he has been tricked and must face the world without protection for the first time. The medieval theme and bright watercolor illustrations ­illuminate the text, bringing the natural ant world to life.