Spider Books

This is a colorful, beautifully illustrated, great rhyming book that teaches counting. My babies LOVE this book. I LOVE this book. My sons are squealing from delight when I open it. If they are distracted and I start reading it, they forget about everything else. One of our favorites and definitely a winner!

I got the book when my daughter was 3 months old because I love its beautiful colors, the illustrations and the rhyming little poem. I read to her and showed her the pictures when she was laying in bed. As soon as she could sit up she was grabbing it and investigated the book closely. Then she started cooing to the little bugs/bees in the book. Now she is 10 months old the book can still hold her attention for a good 20-15 min. She will just flip through it like a big girl and saying a lot of things to it. Just a sweet sight. The best book in our collection by far.

I bought this book for my daughter when she was 2 or 3 and she loved it. She brought it to daycare with her and it became a hit there as well. Then my son came along and he loved it sooo much that it finally fell apart and I just bought a second copy. It is very simple, but colorful, and helpful with counting skills. A good classic to have ready at bedtime and guaranteed to be a hit as a gift for a 2-5 year old.

This book is so sweet! To a young child, it "teaches" numbers, colors, counting and the visuals(ladybugs to touch). To the one who reads this book to a young child, do you remember when you were read to when you were a child? How the voice of the person telling you the story lulled you to sleep or got you jazzed about something due to the story line? For the young child, this is a great book and reminded me of my childhood when my dad and I would sit and read together.

We have read to our daughter every day since we brought her home from the hospital. Even at only three months old, she loves this book. The colors are very eye catching and she likes to feel the little lady bugs. We prop it up for her and turn the pages while she does tummy time. Another favorite, "Good Night, Sweet Butterflies" by the same author. Be sure to get both, for tactile stimulation as well as visual.

I bought "Diary of a Spider" thinking that Doreen Cronin's books are always a big hit with my daughter. After all, she just loves, "Click, Clack, Moo!" and the others of that series. I thought getting this series could introduce her to the world of insects and "icky" things.

Instead, I found something unexpected happened. My daughter was 5 when I first started reading "The Diary of a spider" to her, and sure enough, she loved this book became interested in the life of spiders. But that was not all. My daughter also began to express an interest in keeping her own sort of diary, even though she cannot yet write. She asked me to buy her a little journal, and she glued pictures and stickers from school and her Kindergarten class in it. She added some photos of our family; had me write the names of the people under the pictures for her. I do not think she would have come by starting this sort of scrapbooking or diary-making without having read "Diary of a Spider" and seeing the value of this activity. "Diary of a Spider" really helped her to see that every body's point of view is unique and special.

I am really delighted in this result and highly recommend this book for its value not only in garnering interest in entomology, but also for developing positive self-worth and interest in Diary making.

My grandchildren (2 & 3) both liked the book. My grandson loves spiders and he was excited about it. The illustrations were great.

My kids love these books, and love to have them read to them often. I even enjoy hearing them read to me. I would recommend any of the "Diary of a" books.

We all love the Diary of a Worm, Spider and Fly books. Great illustrations, educational and funny!

In the same funny vein as Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider is chuckle-inducing fun for kids and adults who are kids at heart. Not much of a story line, per se, the book is just a peek into the "every day life" of a spunky little girl spider - a composition of humorous vignettes. The art is perfectly suited to this style of humor.

This style of the book reminds me of Edward Gorey. The illustrations are fabulous, if the matter is a bit dark. I have bought this for numerous friends after finding it at a unique bookstore in Portland, OR. Everyone who reads it ends up loving it.

wonderful story with a twist at the end. Wonderful illustrations. Don't in an old spooky way.

This book is amazing. We LOVE it! I love reading it to my daughter, because its a very easy read with a great cadence, and its fun to pour over the illustration to find something new every time. Tony DiTerlizzi is an awesome illustrator, and I am looking forward to seeing more stories illustrated by him.

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

This book has amazing illustrations. Children love the macabre tale of the spider and the fly. I read this every year to my kindergarten class and it always gets rave reviews from the kids.

It is First Summer's Eve. Every year the elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It also happens to be Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. Luthiel's sister, Leowin, gives her a rare and magical Wyrd Stone. Luthiel is reluctant to accept it since Leowin stole it from a dark sorcerer. Yet Leowin insists that the stone belongs to her. Luthiel had been found, abandoned, as an infant and raised with Leowin's family. The stone had been with Luthiel at that time and the sorcerer had taken it from her. Knowing this, of course Luthiel accepts the Wyrd Stone. Shortly thereafter, a Blade Dancer arrives in the village. They are the solitary guardians of the Minonowe. A Blade Dancer always brings bad news, normally the name of the Chosen. The Chosen is the one elf each year that is taken from his family to the dark and ancient Vyrls who feed on the blood of elves. But this year, three, instead of one, has been Chosen. And the arrival of the Blade Dancer means there has been a fourth elf chosen.

The Chosen is Leowin. The Blade Dancer tells Luthiel in confidence that she has a choice. Luthiel may do nothing and Leowin will be taken to the Vyrls. Or Luthiel can break the highest Faeland law and venture alone to the Vale of Mists to offer herself in her sister's place. If Luthiel chooses to confront the Vyrls, she must hurry. Othalas, the eldest and most feared of all the werewolves, is en route to pick up Leowin. Luthiel will need to meet with a powerful sorcerer, somehow past huge, intelligent spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, and travel through the glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh. Only then will she reach the Vyrls. Either choice will bring death.

But Luthiel is stronger and braver than she could possibly imagine. Good thing, because it will take everything Luthiel has to learn the secrets about her Wyrd Stone.

***** I stress that this is the first book in the Luthiel's Song series. Though the story will end in a good spot, there will be many questions left unanswered and many future tasks left to achieve. However, everything in my synopsis of this story is completed by this book's half-way point. So much more happens than I can tell without some major spoilers (for this book and the future ones).

I am very happy to say that the story is excellent! There are so many creatures, twists, surprises, and adventure. Author Robert Marston Fanney's imagination is a deep well of fantasy mysteries. I can hardly wait to see where he takes me next! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This is one of the most original fantasy worlds I've seen in years. Elves mixed with vampires and werewolves... and many more creatures. But the story has been told and retold since King Author: orphan finding out they are royality. The only thing that kept this from a five star rating is the lack of... connection for the romantic aspect. The two characters could have been developed better from that standpoint to give them more depth. For kids and the men who do not want a lot of male-female interaction, this book is excellent. The simple plot:

It is First Summer's Eve. Every year the elves celebrate as the black moon's shadow fades from the world. It also happens to be Luthiel's fifteenth birthday. Luthiel's sister, Leowin, gives her a rare and magical Wyrd Stone. Luthiel is reluctant to accept it since Leowin stole it from a dark sorcerer. Yet Leowin insists that the stone belongs to her. Luthiel had been found, abandoned, as an infant and raised with Leowin's family. The stone had been with Luthiel at that time and the sorcerer had taken it from her. Knowing this, of course Luthiel accepts the Wyrd Stone. Shortly thereafter, a Blade Dancer arrives in the village. They are the solitary guardians of the Minonowe. A Blade Dancer always brings bad news, normally the name of the Chosen. The Chosen is the one elf each year that is taken from his family to the dark and ancient Vyrls who feed on the blood of elves. But this year, three, instead of one, has been Chosen. And the arrival of the Blade Dancer means there has been a fourth elf chosen.

The Chosen is Leowin. The Blade Dancer tells Luthiel in confidence that she has a choice. Luthiel may do nothing and Leowin will be taken to the Vyrls. Or Luthiel can break the highest Faeland law and venture alone to the Vale of Mists to offer herself in her sister's place. If Luthiel chooses to confront the Vyrls, she must hurry. Othalas, the eldest and most feared of all the werewolves, is en route to pick up Leowin. Luthiel will need to meet with a powerful sorcerer, somehow past huge, intelligent spiders who weave webs out of nightmares, and travel through the glittering mists with the power to reshape flesh. Only then will she reach the Vyrls. Either choice will bring death.

But Luthiel is stronger and braver than she could possibly imagine. Good thing, because it will take everything Luthiel has to learn the secrets about her Wyrd Stone.

~R~

Being a Terry Brooks fan among others, and having reviewed within the romance and mystery genres for quite a few years away from the fantasy/science fiction genre, it was a refreshing and unexpected delight to read such a well done tale of fantasy! Luthiel's Song: Dreams of the Ringed Vale is light and dark, with a heart-felt touch of character dilema sandwiched inbetween. It's Luthiel's fifteenth birthday upon which her sister Leowin presents her with a wonderful gift; a Wyrd Stone. But the treasure is not the only thing that comes to Luthiel upon the day of her birthday. A Blade Dancer comes bearing a dark and very disturbing message. A message meant for one Luthiel holds dear in her heart. So disturbing and dark is the message the Blade Dancer bears, Luthiel is faced with a horrifying choice. Should she do nothing and wait for death to steal away a cherished loved one, or does she go against the most sacred of laws and make a journey alone into one of the darkest places known to her kind? Death lays in wait which ever way she chooses. But whose death will she choose? Only her Wyrd Stone, a window into the world of dreams can help her avoid the inevitable choice. But will she find the secret the stone holds before it is too late? Find out as I did, and read this wonderful first book from author Robert Fanney. My appetite for fantasy is now hungry for more! Very well done!

One of the absolutely best written fantasy books of all time. What I liked about it, everything. What I disliked about it, nothing. Ok there was one thing, none of my local book stores carried it, but fortunetly Amazon had it and for a very good price. If you have kids get this book for them but make sure you read it first or get 2 copies so you can enjoy reading it, because once you give it to your kids you won't be able to get it out of their hands.

A thoroughly enjoyable book. Mr. Fanney's characters, creatures, and storyline made the book hard to put down. And unfortunately, when I did put it down (three days after I started it), I quickly went to Robert Fanney's myspace, I thanked him for Luthiel's Song, and asked when the next addition to Luthiel's story was coming out.

There are few authors who's books I've read more than once (Tolkien, Kurtz, King, and Eddings), Robert Fanney is the newest author on that list.

This cleverly written concept (counting and poetry) book combined with the most beautiful illustrations makes this a must have for any home library. Before they can even read, children will enjoy have this story read to them while they look at the vivid pictures and try to count all the bugs to match the story. Opportunities to increase vocabulary are bountiful with the creative and broad use of vocabulary within the rhyming plot. The ending shows a great character building lesson to get to know someone before making a judgement. Just perfect!

Very cute story. I bought my niece the Fisher-Price tea party set and bought this book to go with it. The story is short but the pictures are adorable and very colorful. I would recommend this book. My niece is 1 1/2, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over 3.

We've been reading this to our little guy since he was three months old, if even that, and he was glued to it from the start, easily his favorite book, still, at nearly 13 months. Great color, great rhythm, and lots of fun bugs! :)

The "Miss Spider" books are pretty easy reads. Nice stories, wonderfully bright, and imaginatively styled illustrations!

My 3 year old is a little concerned with spiders in general and I think by giving a sweet personality to a spider, it helps to take the edge off of the spiders we may find in the house and in nature.

The artwork in this book will keep any child interested. It took my daughter a few reads to get into the story and she still prefers Miss Spider's New Car, but we read this book often.

"Spider-Man: The Ultimate Guide" is a must-have book for all the wall-crawler's fan! It has information about lots of characters and a fantastic spidey's time-line! The illustrations are as good as well, and you can even find information on alternative Spider-Man series, like Spider-Girl, and Spidey 2099. Although the book is very nicely done i still missed more detailed profiles, anyway you will sure not regret for buying this one!

I never read a Spider-man comic book, but I wanted to know all about Spidey, his allies, and his enemies. This ended my search!

Tom De Falco's comprehensive SPIDER-MAN guide is one of my favourite spidey books, covering everything from the comic's origins in the 60s to the recent movies. With some great insight into the characters in the world of comics and good layout, this guide tells you all you need to know about Peter Parker, Mary Jane and assotment of villians (Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Venom et all). DeFalco's extensive research has paid off, making this an essential addition to the already bookshelf-breaking collection of comic book guides. This is a must-have book for any SPIDER-MAN enthusiast.

We bought this book for our five year old who loves Spiderman, but our whole family has enjoyed learning more about the villains and other characters in Spidey's world. It is fun to learn the origin of characters we are familiar with and some we had never heard of before. There are lots and lots of illustrations to keep the kids' attention, and the stories and bios are interesting enough for adults as well. The binding has fallen apart on our book- which may have survived better under normal wear and tear- but that is mostly because my son takes it to bed with him since he loves this book so much. Overall, a great book for kids and adults too.

I have been a rabid Spider-Man fan, reader, and collector for the past 13 years. In that time, I've seen some of the best (1980's to 1993) and worst (Clone Saga) this hero has to offer. IN addition, I have collected every issue ever published. So, I'm very knowledgable about SPider-Man and his world. Still, this book is a delight to read. I didn't learn anything new, but it is well written, spectacularly illustrated with original comic art from some of Spidey's most legendary artists (Ditko, Romita Sr., Romita Jr., Frenz, Andru, Sal Buscema, Gil Kane, McFarlane, Bagley, Larsen). New fans will learn a lot from this book, but no matter how long you've been a fan of Spidey, this book is a treasure trove for you!!

This was a favorite of mine as a child, so I was excited when my daughter was the right age to read it. She enjoys it immensely and loves to point out and name all the details in the colorful pictures.

I love how the paperback version offers a gerat book at an affordable rate for my boys. I remember watching it on "Reading Rainbow" as a child and was happy to share it with my own boys.

This is a wonderful rhyming book fun to read and kids love it. This is the second one I have given away.

I read this book when I was a child and LOVED it. I remember the thrill of seeing that HUGE loaf of bread and the jam. Sent my imagination soaring. Then there was the satisfying end to the bees (I was terrified of bees as a child so you can imagine how thrilled I was at the end. =D) I think it was my most favorite childhood book.

I found this book in the library some years ago and shared it with my son (now 12). I've just bought it to share with my younger son...and my older one is THRILLED. =D We both can't wait for it to arrive.

This was my favorite book when I was a kid, and now my son asks for "Sandwich" as well. I started reading it to him when he was 6 weeks old. We had to take a break to board books when he was in his eat books and turn their pages roughly phase, but now he appreciates having this book read to him. I and my parents, and one day my kids, all know the words by heart. You won't get sick of reading it either. Since I have the words memorized, I can look at the pictures, and even after reading it so many times, I keep finding new details in the pictures!

I never knew there were so many different kinds of caterpillars. The book has wonder color pictures and great information on each species. One of my favorite moths is the hummingbird moth. I now know that its lava is a horn caterpillar, the kind I would automatically kill when found. Not any more!!
This book will be on my porch for quick reference every time I go into the garden.It is really great.

Caterpillars of Eastern North America is easily the best book on the subject in general publication today. It is an amazing book with incredible insights into the habits and lifecycle of this neglected stage in Lepidoptera metamorphosis. You will not be disappointed if you buy this fascinating guide.

A great book on ID of caterpillers!! I was able to find the IO Moth caterpiller with this book in hand. Very in depth info pack in this book. I would highly recommend this book, especially if one finds caterpillers they've never seen before, which was my case. Check out my photos!

Super. Beautiful photos and very detailed, and the photo of the adult is also very helpful. My only complaint would be trying to locate a specific caterpiller, some sort of indexing based upon size, color, spines, hairs, etc would be helpful (I'm thinking something along the lines of what is done in "Weeds of the Northeast" (Comstock Books)). Overall an exceptional book.

I've waited a long time for a book like this! The photos and descriptions have great detail. Identification is easy enough to be used by a young person and scientific enough to satisfy a professor.
Guides to butterflies and moths seldom contain pictures of the caterpillars of the adult stage insect. This book has pictures of both.
I think having a book like this (are there any others?) is essential for someone who spends time in the garden, or any natural environment.
Now I can know what is living in my garden and eating my plants before I decide to squash or not to squash it.

Very good book that teaches counting and basic concepts. Great illustrations - clear and colorful. Quick read so keeps the attention of very young readers. I love reading it to my 16 month old and she loves to listen to the story as well as look at the illustrations.

My 13 month old *LOVES* Miss Spider, and I was getting really sick of Miss Spider's New Car (which is a great book, don't get me wrong, I was just tired of reading it 3x/night.) I went looking for the original Miss Spider's Tea Party in board book format (which you can't find, why is that?) and stumbled across this one and the ABC one. He likes both of them, I slightly prefer this one because frankly it's shorter. The artwork is still the classic David Kirk Miss Spider traditional stuff, not the computer-animated from the TV series stuff. And if you know the original Tea Party story, it's an abbreviated version of that, so it's kind of fun to see where they go with it for the Counting. So all in all, a decent alternative.

My daughter loves this book. She just made 2 and she repeats the ending of each line in this book. I bought it twice because that's how much she loves it. I can read any other book to her, but in the end she makes sure I read Miss Spider's Tea Party. It's a beautifully illustrated and very very well written book.

My 6 month old has liked this book since he was 4 months old. Now his face lights up with a big smile when I pull it out. Sometimes he even starts to fuss when I put it away! The illustrations are just so vibrant and colorful that he's mesmerized by it. I really really wish I could find more books like this. I've looked everywhere! This is definitely a best buy for parents who want to start reading to baby at an early age.

This book has some of the most beautiful artwork you will ever see in a children's book. My 17 month old took a few tries to warm up to the story, and it still isn't a favorite of hers. A lot of times we will just sit and look at the pretty pictures.

My 27 month old son and I really enjoy Julia Donaldson's books and this book is among our favorites. It was the first of her books that we read and we liked it so much that we thought to purchase her other books without looking at other reviews and we have not been disappointed. She is a great children's book author and knows how to keep her stories interesting and just the right length for their attention span(I started this book with my son when he was under two and instead of reading the printed text which would be too long for a two year old, I described each page since the illustrations tell the story themselves-I was able to keep his interest by adding a little bit of detail each time we read it.) The illustrations are wonderful and I feel like my son got exposed to the great vastness of this world by simply going on an adventure with the snail and the whale:-)

The story of a snail that wants to see the world and the whale that gives her a ride. Very nice story and the rhymes and the cadence make it fun to read out loud.

Again wonderful illustrations and a great story. Easy to paraphrase for a younger child and then to be reading exactly as written for the three year old.

My youngest grandson loved this book. Very well written with exciting parts for young children and a good story line. 5 star rating well deserved.

We have several books by Julia Donaldson. Mostly they have been translated into Hebrew as we live in Israel and my kids are bilingual. But The Snail and the Whale is one of the few we have in English....and I'm so happy that we do! I love this story. I've read it to my kids so many times, I think I could recite it verbatim from start to finish - yet we never tire of it. Ms Donaldson has such a magical way with words that truly engages the kids and yet there's always a message in her books without ever sounding even remotely preachy. And true to form, the tiny snail in this story teaches us a great big lesson about bravery, self-worth and friendship.