This story is good for teaching lessons on work ethic, making good decisions and helping others without being asked for help. I think all those things are all tied in with being a good citizen and creating an active community of learners which students should learn about anyway. The reading level is a 3.3

This is a very text-heavy book, even though it is a picture book. It also goes into a fair amount of detail regarding the trial and each side's arguments. It has a completely different take on the grasshopper. Instead of depicting him as lazy and the ant as industrious (as in the original tale), this version depicts the grasshopper as providing an important service through his music (his art) to the community. It is an interesting story and makes a provocative argument about what is just and how we should treat each other.

I think this book would work in upper elementary grades. Students could read the original tale and then compare this version to it. They could create a t-chart with each side's case and evidence. The students could even put on their own trial and assign roles. The students could draw in evidence of the role of art in their own lives...to determine what value they think it provides. This could culminate in an essay.