Juan Hormiga
by Gustavo Roldán
translated from Spanish by Robert Croll
Elsewhere Editions, 2021. First published in Spanish in 2012. 64 pages.
Review written July 31, 2021, from a library book
Starred Review
This long picture book is more suitable for young elementary school students than for the preschool crowd. I hope they can find it in its lovely picture book packaging.
Juan Hormiga is a lazy ant. He’s incredibly good at napping. But he’s also good at telling tales about his grandfather, an intrepid adventurer.
Juan Hormiga knew all of those stories, and he knew how to tell them, and, best of all, he could do it just as if he’d lived through them himself.
A fun part of this book is that when the text describes Juan Hormiga telling the stories, the accompanying illustrations show an ant having hair-raising adventures. On the page quoted above, we see an ant falling “Plaf!!” from a swinging vine into deep water.
But one day Juan Hormiga decides to go off on a journey of his own, like his grandfather. After he leaves, there’s a heavy storm that floods the anthill.
The ants discuss what must have happened to Juan Hormiga. He was headed for the river, which turns into an angry beast when it rains. Surely the current swept him away and he drowned.
Poor Juan Hormiga. As brave as he was, to meet an end like that.
A hero through and through. Juan Hormiga was braver than anyone in this anthill since his grandfather.
Astute readers will no doubt guess that’s not actually what happened. And the quiet fun that happens when they discover the truth.
This book celebrates the power of story, but also shows how tales can grow if not tempered by truth.
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