Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature)
Joshua Prince’s first book is the tongue-in-cheek account of switchman Jack’s valiant efforts to save the life of an ant in search of a snack strolling the wrong way on a railroad track. When a train comes barreling down that same track, Jack tosses his own snack and goes into action. Yet with all his strength he cannot pull the switch to change the train to the other track. Oh, horrors! Will the ant get whacked? Little ones should giggle with glee at Jack’s titanic attempts to solve a simple problem. Luckily the ant is every bit as single-minded as his would-be savior. Prince’s rollicking rhyme clickety-clacks right along, while Macky Pamintuan’s artwork--with the slick, air-brushed look of a computer game--succeeds in setting a brawny Jack and huge engine in counterpoint to the miniscule ant. It’s a bravura performance for a first-time out advertising writer--and great fun to boot. 2006, Sterling, $14.95. Ages 2 to 6.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 6))
When an ant walking east, "tickety-tack," meets a train heading west, clickety-clack," switchman Jack tries to head off the impending smack. Pamintuan illustrates Prince's consonantal verse with sunny, smoothly finished ground-level scenes featuring a Disneyesque ant with white gloves and large human eyes, strolling along oblivious both to the huge locomotive roaring up and portly, blue-collar Jack's struggles to switch the track. But then, at the last microsecond, the ant spots Jack's nearby sack of snacks and hops to safety. Of like-sounding outings there is no lack (see, for instance, Rob and Amy Spence's Clickety Clack, illustrated by Margaret Spengler, 1999), but there's enough melodrama here to keep readers coming back. 2006, Sterling, 24p, $14.95. Category: Picture book. Ages 6 to 8. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2006)
What will happen to an eastbound ant searching for a snack on a westbound railroad track? Switchman Jack pulls the switch, but it's stuck, and the train keeps coming. At the last second, the ant, spotting Jack's lunch on the ground, hops off the track and all ends happily. The lively rhyme and energetic illustrations capture the drama of this tall tale. Category: Picture Books. 2006, Sterling, 24pp, 14.95. Ages 4 to 9. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.