Sincerely, Antonia

Overview

What if the ants in your house thought you invited them?

When a little boy, Jay, leaves cracker crumbs and sugary messes around his house, tiny Antonia and her army of ants are convinced it's a feast made just for them. 

Until things start to get . . . strange. 

Jay’s grown-ups begin spraying, wiping, and sighing loudly whenever they see the “feasts.” Determined to help, Antonia sets out to alert Jay to his parent’s increasingly odd behavior.

But could there be more to these peculiar events than Antonia realizes? 

Told through a hilarious “letter” written by Antonia and her ant army (using chocolatey crumbs, of course), two worlds collide in one messy kitchen. 

For fans of Can I Be Your Dog? or The Day the Crayons Quit, Sincerely, Antonia: A Big Note from a Tiny Guest delivers a clever perspective shift.

For fans of funny read-alouds, this children’s book:

• Builds empathy and perspective-taking in young readers
• Introduces point of view and social-emotional learning (SEL)
• Keeps kids engaged with a search-and-find element on every spread
• Delivers humor for the adults, too

Perfect for ages 3–8 (Preschool–3rd Grade). Great for storytime, classrooms, early readers, and bedtime reading.

Reviews

EDITOR'S PICK, The Children's Book Review (Founder, Bianca Schulze): Sincerely, Antonia is a book that makes you giggle, nod in recognition, and maybe think twice before brushing away a crumb—or an ant. Zany, heartwarming, and sneakily wise, it’s a delightful read-aloud that turns an everyday pest into a most endearing protagonist. Whether you’re a neat freak or a chocolate lover, this is one letter you’ll be glad you received. A sweet and subversive treat—sure to become a family favorite.

Author Biography

Cortney Cino is the author of The Lights That Stay, Sincerely, Antonia, Finally Home, and the Piper's Adventures series. With a background in marketing, she now writes and publishes children's books full-time. Her experiences living in Washington, DC; Boston, MA; and Morehead City, NC, where her family was stationed with the military, have all influenced her writing. Cortney currently lives with her husband and three daughters in Northern California. For more information, visit www.whimspirebooks.com.

Tadgh Bentley is an author, illustrator, and artist currently living in South-East Ohio. Originally from the UK, Tadgh is a self-taught artist whose publishing career began in 2012 with the release of his first picture book, Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups. He currently has 10 books for children published with HarperCollins, Scholastic, and more. Tadgh is a former middle and elementary school teacher and retains a passion for education. In recent years he has been working with traditional paint in the form of landscape painting, finding inspiration in the woods around his home.