Spiders Spin Webs [Paperback]

Yvonne Winer (Author), Karen Lloyd-Jones (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

With this book, young readers get a chance to look up close at a stunning variety of webs and spiders from around the world. Concise, lilting verses present each spider, revealing how, when, where, and why these fascinating creatures spin webs. Colorful, detailed illustrations depict each one with dazzling realism. A spider identification guide and additional book and Internet resources are included.

--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5-A poetry book that's as deftly constructed as the silken snares it celebrates. Winer introduces 15 different kinds of spiders in two-page sections. On the verso of each spread, five lines of verse are presented along with a portrait of a spider. On the opposite page, a realistically rendered painting, done in watercolor, gouache, and airbrush, depicts the same arachnid in its natural habitat (in two cases, only its web is shown). The verses focus on the webs, or the use of spider silk (not all species spin webs); they allude, as well, to the cycles of nature that affect the creatures. The poetry is full of rich imagery, has a strong meter, and reads aloud well. The first and last line of every verse are the same. A two-page "Spider Identification Guide" is appended. A reduced version of the portrait accompanying each poem is also included. While there are some collections of nature poetry that include a poem or two about arachnids, they are few and far between; often the selections are comical in nature and paint the spider in a sinister light. With its beautiful artwork and smoothly written verse, Spiders Spin Webs is a rare treat. It effectively expresses a reverence toward nature in a way that children can understand.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-8. A well-conceived, visually exciting field guide, which uses incredibly lush illustrations and simple, airy verse to introduce 15 types of arachnid: "Spiders spin webs / Like weavers of old, as / Their spinneret patterns, / Like magic, unfold. / That's how spiders spin webs." A close-up of a spider, accompanied by brief text, appears on the left side of each double-spread illustration, with a realistic illustration of the spider in its natural environment on the right side. A fact-filled identification guide, presenting information unique to each spider, rounds out the text. Also included are references, a recommended reading list, and Internet resources. Shelley Townsend-Hudson --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881069841
• ISBN-13: 978-0881069846
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,910,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book, July 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Spiders Spin Webs (Library Binding)

My 4 year old daughter received this book as a gift. The verse and pictures are beautiful. It encourages the appreciation of spiders from both an aesthetic and educational point of view. She loves to hear about the interesting behaviors of the various spiders described in the back of the book. I read it to her preschool class and they enjoyed it. Her teacher loved it. I am ordering another book as a gift to her class. (I am not normally a big fan of spiders, but this is really a beautiful book.)

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely STUNNING!, June 21, 2008

By 

MAIOSH (Alaska) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spiders Spin Webs (Library Binding)

I am not a huge fan of spiders but you cannot help but look at the beautiful illustrations of this book and be amazed at their beauty. Beautiful, Lyrical, Rhyming text. We love Yvonne Winer's books and all the illustrators she chooses are nothing short of amazing. My children LOVE these books. They are a feast for the eyes and mind.