Customer Reviews

Sammy Spider's First Day of School (Sammy Spider's First Books)

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The ever curious Sammy Spider, starring in his eleventh title, drops down from the ceiling, where he lives in a web with his mother, and hitches a ride to Jewish preschool in Josh's backpack. "Boker Tov! Good morning!" says the teacher, who uses the story of Noah's Ark to engage the children in a discussion about "an important Jewish value"--kindness to animals. But when the little spider is discovered, a child wants to step on him. Josh picks Sammy up, shows his classmates there's nothing to be afraid of, and they then take turns holding him. Josh's mother is proud that he has helped his classmates understand what it means to be kind to animals, and Sammy's mother is happy that her son has made lots of new friends. The text moves along clumsily, but illustrator Katherine Janus Kahn's brightly-colored cut shapes add much visual interest, energy and pizzazz to the story. Ages 3-6. Susan Kantor

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, reviewer with Stories for Children Magazine

It is Josh Shapiro's first day of preschool. Sammy Spider, who lives with his family in the Shapiros' house, wants to go with Josh. Mrs. Spider says that Sammy is silly because spiders don't go to school. However, Sammy sneaks into Josh's backpack. Sammy gets to listen to a story about Noah's ark, hear the children tell about their pets, and watch them as they learn about kindness to animals. He does not go outside with the children to the bird feeder because, well, we know that some birds like to eat spiders! When they return, he crawls near Josh, but some of the children who are afraid of spiders see him and want to step on him. What will happen to Sammy? Will anyone save him?

In Sammy Spider's First Day of School, author Sylvia Rouss tells a really cute story, augmented by Katherine Kahn's colorful, stylized illustrations that will appeal to all children, especially those getting ready for their first day of school. This is the eleventh book in the Sammy Spider series, which includes Sammy Spider's First Passover and Sammy Spider's First Shabbat. Sammy Spider's First Trip to Israel was named a Sydney Taylor Honor book by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Parents, both Jewish and otherwise, will appreciate the lesson of kindness to animals taught in this series, including in this book. We need to remember that even spiders have their place in God's order because they eat other vermin that could be dangerous to humans. Sammy Spider's First Day of School was a pleasure to read and review.