*Review* Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure by Maren Morris and Karina Argow

 Genre: Children's 2-5 years

Published: April 9, 2024

Pages: 40

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Maren Morris and former schoolteacher Karina Argow have together written their picture-book debut, Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure. This delightful story of one little ant’s journey for independence while realizing when to ask for help, is set against the backdrop of a vast and abundant garden inhabited by some very helpful insect friends.

Addie Ant travels from one garden bed to another on her first solo adventure. As she forges her own path, she gets lost along the way and finds help from her trusted garden pals, Lewis Ladybug, Beatrix Butterfly, and Cleo Cricket, in finding her way back home.
 
A celebration of friendship, this sweet book is a collaboration by renowned, musical artist Maren Morris and former schoolteacher and close friend Karina Argow. Artist Kelly Anne Dalton brings the delightfully written characters to life with colorful and charming illustrations.
 
Join Addie Ant in a vast and magical garden adventure full of insect friends, growing vegetables, blooming flowers, and the inspiring abundance of nature.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This was a fun story about a young ant who wants to visit the watermelon bed in the garden where she lives. Her friends and family are against the adventure at first because she is still young and it's a long way to the watermelon bed (for an ant at least). But Addie goes anyway, and things don't go exactly as planned. Luckily she has friends throughout the garden who help her get back home. 

I have mixed feelings about the messages of this book, because I want my children to listen to me when I clearly know better than they do, but at the same time, I know I do eventually have to let them be their own people (they're both teenagers now and I think I've mostly succeeded at letting them be their own people, but when they were younger it was so hard). I just think there's the potential for that messaging to cause problems for parents of younger children. But I'd be okay reading this book a few times because it really is important for us to let our children have some autonomy and make mistakes. It's how they're going to learn. The illustrations were very bold and colorful. 

Overall I give Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure 4.1957 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Maren Morris is a celebrated singer-songwriter, CEO, and Texan. She is the recipient of many top music awards including five Country Music Association Awards, five Academy of Country Music Awards, and one Grammy Award. She has had several Billboard hit singles at the top of the charts including “My Church” and “The Bones” to name just a few. Her crossover, international hit “The Middle” is officially six times Platinum-certified. Additionally, Morris is a leading voice in country music for change and equality in the music industry. She and her son, Hayes, reside in Nashville, Tennessee.

Karina Argow is a former high school English teacher and department chairperson. Her love of teaching and writing, coupled with her passion for gardening, inspired her to collaborate with close friend Maren Morris on their first children’s book. Karina lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her partner, Jonathan, and can be found most days wandering through her garden beds talking to the bugs that buzz around them.
 
Kelly Anne Dalton is an artist and storyteller living in the wild mountains of Montana. Her illustrations can be found on children’s books, greeting cards, fabric, home decor collections, and a range of items for the gift market.