The City Under the Back Steps

Newly republished by Purple House Press. Meet Jill and Craig, two children who mysteriously shrink and are taken prisoner by an ant colony. Down beneath the ground they are herded, to the city under the back steps and the complex world of the ant colony. Here where the haughty Queen rules with an iron hand, each of her subjects has a vital role to perform, and Jill and Craig are put to work. But no sooner had they become involved in the daily routine of the colony when an army of red ants sweeps down, threatening the destruction of the city and its inhabitants, including Jill and Craig! Evelyn Sibley Lampman’s exciting fantasy, sure to ignite an interest in nature, accurately explores the fascinating hierarchy of the ant world. Contains 27 original illustrations by Honoré Valintcourt and a preview of chapter one from The Bounces of Cynthiann'