A creative twist on an old fable that highlights the value of art in daily life. 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. AGES: 3 to 7 AUTHOR: Helaine Becker is an award-winning writer of more than 90 books, including Sloth at the Zoom and Worms for Breakfast. She also writes for children’s magazines and kids television, and presents and performs at schools across Canada and the US. Helaine lives in Toronto, Ontario. Dena Seiferling is an illustrator and needle-felt artist living in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband, two children and two dogs. Alice and Gert is her second picture book. Her first book, King Mouse, written by Cary Fagan, was shortlisted for a Governor General’s Award. SELLING POINTS: . Shows teamwork and the importance of diverse perspectives and talents . Highlights empathy, kindness, and the joy of play . Strong message of advocacy for the arts