Hanli Bothma’s whimsical children’s tale, Merant, The Muddled Ant, is sure to become a bedtime favorite.

Merant is a playful little ant who lives with hundreds and hundreds of other ants in a nest. 

But this ant nest is no ordinary nest; inside are rooms filled with racks and racks of toys.  Merant loves to play all day long with the toys, constantly taking this one and that one down from its rack. 

Planes, puzzles, balls—all kinds of toys—big and small!  Usually Merant is very good about returning the toys to where they belong, but one day after an especially fun playtime, he decides to leave them strewn about.  Why pick them up?  After all, he’ll be back to play, the very next day! 

Merant forgets that he’s not the only little ant that wants to play.  What if one of his friends wants to play with a puzzle? What if a ball is missing from its unusual spot on the rack?  How will the other little ants find it?             

Hanli Bothma’s sweet story is filled with colorful and delightful characters.  Its message teaches children the importance of sharing, teamwork, and responsibility. 

About the Author

Hanli Bothma is a children’s author, software programmer and data analyst. She has written three books and is currently finishing her fourth. She lives with her daughters, Liché and Niki, in South Australia.