Miss Spider's Wedding [Hardcover]

David Kirk (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Miss Spider

True love blooms for the enticing arachnid in her second adventure. "Bold and vibrant colours plunge readers into a dreamy, fragrant springtime, where all manner of insects and flowers mingle in a blooming world." - Kirkus Reviews

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fresh from entertaining her insect neighbors in the bestselling Miss Spider's Tea Party, Miss Spider the arachnid ingenue prepares to scuttle down the aisle in this sequel. Essentially this offering is more of same-admirers of Kirk's unique illustrations, with their jujube-colored palette, fever-dream characters and 3D-style compositions, will be happily snared. If anything the colors are even more intense, dominated by rich autumnal tones and highlighted by deep indigos. The verse, however, is just as protracted as in Tea Party, and there's more of it-from an overlong string of mostly singsongy quatrains Kirk weaves a tangled tale of young spider love, a villainous suitor who attempts to do away with Miss Spider's intended, a rescue and, finally, nuptials ("With crickets fiddling in full swing,/ The katydids begin to sing./ June beetles spin in pirouettes,/ And clickbugs clack like castanets"). All ages.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?Miss Spider, of Miss Spider's Tea Party (Scholastic, 1994), falls for Holley, an unprepossessing male spider. Her friend, May the beetle, feels she deserves better ("That pantywaist will never do") and sets her up with handsome Spiderus Reeves, who turns out to be a cad. True love triumphs, though, and Miss Spider and Holley wed. All this is told in a long, ponderous, rhyming text that robs the story of any inherent interest it might have for children. Kirk's air-brushed artwork is extraordinary. His large-eyed, brilliantly colored insects have a 3-D quality. Spiderus Reeves, with the humanized face of a distorted harlequin, has a truly malevolent appearance. Yet the level of visual sophistication and suggestion of seductive evil is out of proportion to the cartoon innocence of the other characters. This makes him a singularly disquieting figure?more than just a villian to be vanquished: a personification of evil. Children may be attracted to the cover showing a smiling Miss Spider gazing shyly through her spider-web veil, but overall the book is flawed.?Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition, First Printing edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590568663
• ISBN-13: 978-0590568661
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 12 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #570,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David Kirk grew up in Ohio, USA, where he learned about insects and painting. He has been making toys and artwork for children for fifteen years and lives with his daughter, Violet, in New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good but way too mature for it's targeted audience., March 30, 2009

By 

Sychak (Orlando FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Spider's Wedding (Hardcover)

This book is fabulous. If you're older than 15 years old.

It's very well written. I like it alot.

But, for my son..it's a bit much.

It's plot is much to mature for kids.

It makes hints at sex, shows outright violence, and includes name calling (numerous times).
It's not a book that we will be reading to our kids any time soon. It will be put away until they are older.

It's unfortunate because it is very interesting and well written. Just has more violence, sex, name calling than I would like for my kids.

And i'm not one of those stuck up parents..we all know what i mean. This book is still too much, in my opinion.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love the Miss Spider books!, April 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Miss Spider's Wedding (Hardcover)

I absolutely love the miss spider books. David Kirk is so talented. Miss Spider's Wedding is my favorite. I love the story of the two spiders falling in love. It is a lesson for young children that you don't have to be popular to be loved. David Kirk use of rhyme is wonderful. I really enjoy reading his book because they flow so well. His artwork in these books is tremendous. I love his use of color. It puts me in a good mood just seeing his pictures. David Kirk has many other Miss Spider books just as good as this one. I recommend them all.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not impressed, October 4, 2008

By 

KayDee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Miss Spider's Wedding (Hardcover)

My children have watched this show for a while now and over all I didn't mind the show. Last week my 5 year old daughter took this book out of the school library. Everyone was excited so we cuddled up on the sofa to read it. I was HORRIFIED and had to stop reading.

The Pictures have beautiful colors however the subject of the pictures would give any child nightmares. The rhyming makes everything sound pretty but those rhymes are not nice. They are rude and mean. An example is:

His hot breath sprayed Miss Spider's face
With all the force he had,
He screamed, 'You will reveal his name!"
She said, "I won't, you cad!"

He turned his back and brayed, "I must
Go find and grind him into dust!
So foolish woman, be forewarned,
Spiderus Reeves shall not be scorned."

That is only two little paragraphs. I stopped reading it and explained to my children that sometimes books were not good for us to read and it was my job to make sure they had good things in their minds not garbage.

Miss Spider is now officially banned in our house.

I strongly suggest parents take the time to read the book before bringing it into your home.