The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Bunny Reads Back) [Board book]

Rosemary Wells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Series: Bunny Reads Back

A beloved nursery rhyme classic to put your child on the road to reading!


Rosemary Wells, one of America's foremost creators of children's books, will have the very youngest child turning pages and remembering the words. What better way instill a lifetime love of reading and learning?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS?This board-book series is based on the concept that preschoolers will learn to "read" by turning the pages, looking at the pictures and words, and singing the familiar songs that they have memorized. In Bear, a cub leaves his mother to make the trek up the side of the mountain, basket of flowers in hand. He looks around and returns to his mother's arms after tumbling down the hill. In the final frame, he attempts the trip again. In Itsy-Bitsy, a goose wanders near a drainpipe at the corner of a house and a spider plops out of nowhere onto its beak. Filled with humor and warmth, Wells's colorful illustrations bring new life to these favorite rhymes. Simple and short with large print, these cozy books will be welcome additions.?Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Board book: 18 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590029118
• ISBN-13: 978-0590029117
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #249,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Wells, Rosemary

More About the Author

Born in New York City, Rosemary Wells grew up in a house "filled with books, dogs, and nineteenth-century music." Her childhood years were spent between her parents' home near Red Bank, New Jersey, and her grandmother's rambling stucco house on the Jersey Shore. Most of her sentimental memories, both good and bad, stem from that place and time. Her mother was a dancer in the Russian Ballet, and her father a playwright and actor. Mrs. Wells says, "Both my parents flooded me with books and stories. My grandmother took me on special trips to the theater and museums in New York. "Rosemary Wells's career as an author and illustrator spans more than 30 years and 60 books. She has won numerous awards, and has given readers such unforgettable characters as Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora, and Yoko. She has also given Mother Goose new life in two enormous, definitive editions, published by Candlewick. Wells wrote and illustrated Unfortunately Harriet, her first book with Dial, in 1972. One year later she wrote the popular Noisy Nora. "The children and our home life have inspired, in part, many of my books. Our West Highland white terrier, Angus, had the shape and expressions to become Benjamin and Tulip, Timothy, and all the other animals I have made up for my stories." Her daughters Victoria and Beezoo were constant inspirations, especially for the now famous "Max" board book series. "Simple incidents from childhood are universal," Wells says. "The dynamics between older and younger siblings are common to all families."But not all of Wells' ideas come from within the family circle. Many times when speaking, Mrs. Wells is asked where her ideas come from. She usually answers, "It's a writer's job to have ideas." Sometimes an idea comes from something she reads or hears about, as in the case of her recent book, Mary on Horseback, a story based on the life of Mary Breckenridge, who founded the Frontier Nursing Service. Timothy Goes to School was based on an incident in which her daughter was teased for wearing the wrong clothes to a Christmas concert. Her dogs, west highland terriers, Lucy and Snowy, work their way into her drawings in expression and body position. She admits, "I put into my books all of the things I remember. I am an accomplished eavesdropper in restaurants, trains, and gatherings of any kind. These remembrances are jumbled up and changed because fiction is always more palatable than truth. Memories become more true as they are honed and whittled into characters and stories."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where is the spider?, May 18, 2001

By 

Laura O. Brokaw (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Bunny Reads Back) (Board book)

I got this book for my baby daughter because she loves the song. I figured the spider would be fairly prominently placed in the illustrations. Yes, it is there, but really really tiny. The goose, instead fills most of the picture.

Also, if you plan to do the hand signs while you read/sing the text, the really short phrasing on each page makes it very hard -- because just when you'd want to do the hand sign; "rain" for example... you're supposed to be turning a page... down came the rain (turn) and washed the spider out (turn)

I also don't like the extra "Again" they paste onto the end of the song. "Climbed up the spout again" and then there is an additional paged that says "Again."

I don't think it was worth the money, and I wish I hadn't purchased this version.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The itsy bitsy spider--again, and again!, March 30, 2000

By 

barbara j dodd (Neptune, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Bunny Reads Back) (Board book)

This book is a great deal of fun to read with preschoolers. My 4-yr-old reads along each page while we sing the rhyme. Each page has just enough words on it, not too many to be overwhelming. The illustrations are classic, engaging Rosemary Wells. I also have a 2-yr-old who "reads" along too--thank goodness for it being a board book! We have many books by Ms. Wells in the house. It is nice that there is something for everyone, from the 8-yr-old to the 2-yr-old. Indeed, she encourages even the youngest Bunnies to read back with this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars She loves it, November 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (Bunny Reads Back) (Board book)

This was given to me as a baby shower gift for my 5 month old, but my 2 year old has taken it as her own. Her favorite part is at the end when it says "Again!" So we read it again and again.