Little Ant Hears a Noise - $10.00
"Swirling, whirling all around, what on earth could be that sound?"
When the little ant hears a noise at night, he must figure out a way to face his fears and fall asleep. Radiators rattle, tornadoes twirl, neighbors get noisy, but the ant has a trick! He uses his imagination to turn those scary sounds into brighter, happier images. In the end, those noises become the music of his dreams. This is the second book in the series.
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Inspiration
The second book in my Little Ant children's series was also inspired by my sons. I wrote it as a way to ease their fear of nighttime noises. In my house, when the lights go off, the noises come out! The heat comes on. The cat meows. Someone flushes the toilet. And both boys are up and calling my name.
When I think back to when I was a kid, I was also afraid of the dark. I would hear a noise or see a shadow and that was all it took to get my imagination going. It was ironic—the creativity that brought joy and adventure to my days, now cursed my nights! I had to find a way to quiet my fears.
It wasn't long before I learned to change the picture (or story!) of the noise. I now hear the cat walking up creaky stairs instead of a ghost; and squirrels on the roof instead of rain. Since I couldn't change the noise itself, I had to change my interpretation of it. And this is what I hoped to convey through my story.
Now, when my children hear a noise at night, I say it's the neighbor outside or the cat downstairs. I give them something more fun and exciting to think about!
Bedtime shenanigans!
In the News
About the Author
Ilene Dudek, Award-Winning Author & Illustrator
Ilene Dudek is an award-winning author and illustrator from Nutley, NJ. In 2017, she began writing her Little Ant children's series. Since then, she has completed six books in the series. All six books have been featured in the 2020-2021 preschool art program at Lovlee Art Studios in Bloomfield, NJ. Her new book Little Ant & the Epic Battle received the 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Award—earning honorable mention in the Picture Books 6 & Older category. It was also recognized by the state of Illinois as a valuable COVID-19 resource for families with young children. It sits alongside recommendations from the CDC and UNICEF as a resource for understanding the pandemic. Ilene has participated in over 50 local author events, including a book signing at Barnes & Noble, and has been featured on "Spotlight New Jersey" — News 12 New Jersey and in Jersey's Best magazine. Ilene was also the guest speaker at a 2020 Nutley Rotary luncheon and on the 16W with Norman podcast. In the future, Ilene hopes to continue writing her Little Ant series and sharing her books with the local community.