THE GRASSHOPPER’S SONG

THE GRASSHOPPER’S SONG

Nikki Giovanni.

Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2008

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

Condition: Very Good

The Grasshopper’s Song is Nikki Giovanni’s retelling of Aesop’s classic fable The Ant and the Grasshopper. Giovanni takes the familiar story and gives it a new ending, turning it into a conversation about work, art, and fairness.

The Grasshoppers spend the summer making music while the Ants work and gather food for winter. When winter comes, the Grasshoppers ask the Ants to share their harvest, but the Ants refuse. Jimmy Grasshopper decides to take the case to court. His argument is simple: the Grasshoppers’ music helped make the Ants’ work easier and more enjoyable, so shouldn’t that work have some value too?

Through humor and a playful courtroom story, Giovanni asks what creative work is worth and whether value can always be measured by what we produce. 

Dimensions: 20.8 x 22.1 cm