There are many more books than these, but we chose nine varied picture books celebrating spiders in many ways. Hope you enjoy!
Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to be a Kitten - Michelle Knudesn, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Being loved for who you are is universal - everyone deserves to be seen and loved for their true self and Luigi's story reminds us all to be loving and accepting of ourselves and each other. Plus, it's just super cute.
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti - Gerald McDermott
Anansi, the trickster folk character is represented in many books (shout out to the Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia which is AMAZING!). This book which introduces Anansi reminds us that spiders are seen differently in different cultures. If you don't know Anansi as a character, explore some more - there are so many different retellings, illustrations and stories - he's really interesting and usually entertaining.
The Very Busy Spider - Eric Carle
Who doesn't love Eric Carle's art and sweet stories? Simple but friendly portrayal of a spider as part of animal life.
Sammy Spider's First ... - Sylvia A. Rouss, illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn
This series of books features a lovable spider, Sammy who introduces readers to many aspects of Jewish life, from holidays to important traditions.
A Spider Named Itsy - Steve Light
You probably know the song, but do you know the spider?
Sylvie - Jean Reidy, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
"Sylvie made sure that everything and everyone on every floor were -- just so." Sylvie watches over "her people" with care and invites readers into a sweet relationship with a spider.
The Spider Who Saved Christmas: a Legend - Raymond Arroyo, illustrated by Randy Gallegos
Showing the heroism of spiders, this legend portrays kindness, strength and shows spiders as being the same as all other creatures, not scary or bad, but unique and wonderful. The illustrations are rich and colorful and the story is sweet.
Sophie's Masterpiece: A Spider's Tale - Eileen Spinelli, illustrations by Jane Dyer
Sophie is an artist. (If you haven't ever marveled at a spider's web, I hope you have the chance - they are beautiful). Her compassionate nature, and quest for making beauty are inspiring.
We are grateful to our local library for all the books we find there and want to remind you to support your library with whatever you can!
As usual, your blog posts continue to enlighten and inspire! These look like lovely and fascinating books--the one about the spider who wants to be a kitten sounds particularly adorable; and the one about the compassionate spider's quest to make beauty through her webs seems really wonderful. But they all look great!! Thank you for the reminder at the end, too, about supporting local libraries, which is so important!