Spider Books

I still don't understand why people didn't like this when this first issue of DK2 came out. Frank Miller did something so far outside of their expectations, that they immediately ascribed it to FM's knowingly and intentionally annoying his fans, hence the parody of this first issue's cover that made the rounds on the internet: Batman's fist maliciously turned into his gloved hand giving the world and comic fans and the reader the proverbial middle-finger (you know, the bird). But I took this first issue as Miller's way of doing something new and unique. He may have had some fun doing this series, but I did not then and do not now think he was doing something intentionally devious or mean-spirited. The first issue of DK2 lets us know that some of the most powerful and, to some degree least human, of the Justice League -- Superman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam -- have all been successfully blackmailed into being turned into their greatest enemy's -- that is, Lex Luthor's and Brainiac's -- slaves. At stake are the lives they hold most dear, and those lives don't reside for these heroes on Planet Earth. Batman at one point actually calls Superman "the puppet of dirtbags." All the other superheroes have been incarcerated in various ways. The Atom, for instance, has dropped and left to rot in a petri dish, and the Flash has been running a hamster-wheel-generator so the cities can have cheap electricity. And we know there are others out there, victims to a police state with an iron grip that only Jimmie Olsen speaks out against. We learn that the President is nothing but a computer-generated fake. And betraying all his foremost convictions and best friends, Superman, too, proves himself false. The result of his choices ultimately leads to the imprisonment of all the other superheroes. And this is why Batman hates him. It explains some of what began (Superman's serving the President's beck and call) in and some of what was left unsaid (Batman's not-quite-explained intention to demolish the man of steel) in The Dark Knight Returns. Batman chose to go underground instead of turning hypocrite. Superman stayed above ground and up above in the heavens and becomes the greatest weapon in the hands of ultimate evil. Batman implies he is more Kal-El (alien) than man; he undoubtedly believes he could have found another way. And so the story becomes a lesson in perspective, viewpoint, and the consequences thereof. The Atom chooses to fight to the death in his petri dish and thereby lives (just as Batman did in DK Returns). This issue revolves around the rescue of the Atom and Flash as well as highlighting intriguing chameos by the Question and the Green Arrow. Called a terrorist for breaking into government institutions and rescuing these heroes, Batman knows Superman will be provoked and commanded to attack him and bring him to so-called justice. Superman rumbles through the Batcave and summarily gets his omnipotent butt kicked. In closing, Frank Miller isn't creating a comic story here so much as he is a Superhero Philosophy. Caroline Keene Kelly (formerly Robin in Dark Knight Returns) is a mirror image of Batman in this book, and in a telling scene where a Batboy soldier kills a man claiming that he "had no choice" and the he can "break" her "in half," she disciplines him by breaking him symbolically and literally. And then we know what Batman, as self-appointed field commander of superheroes is dealing with: a discipline problem. And deal with it (in the next two issues), he will.

This book without a doubt got me through my childhood crafting years. Random weirdness was no stranger to me, and having grown up outdoors it was natural for me to put my love of random nature and of books to hard work. I'm 18 now and looking for the books of my childhood, the books which I routinely borrowed from the local free library, and this one was the first to come to mind. I remember best making a cockroach out of my dukes of hazzard matchbox car, because it was orange and so was my crayon. Kids deserve a chance to make their own toys. Sometimes all you need is some straws and string to keep them amused.

"Bedtime Story" is another "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends" book adaptation and it's another sweet one. In this one, Miss Spider and Holleys' little buglets are having trouble getting to bed on time. Miss Spider and Holley create a wishing web and if the kids can get to the top, then they get to participate in "Compost Day" --- a day of fun activities. The kids, though, find that while they can get to bed on time, their parents are staying up late. So Miss spider and Holley are added to the wishing web.

This nice Miss Spider story will help kids get to bed on time. Enjoyable for anyone who's a fan of this group of bugs.

Having the book on the ant I grabbed this one on the bee. Like the ant book this book deals on how humans and bees have interacted, from when humans first hunted down bees to steal their honey to when we made horror movies about them. Facts, fiction, legends and history, this book touches on everything and anything that has to do with bees in our culture, books, movies and ideals.

Written by the top-notch experts working in bee systematics today, this book is extremely well conceived and executed. It would be very useful for pollination ecologists and others who encounter wild bee species and are at a loss as to what they're dealing with.

My granddaughter (15 mo.) LOVES this book. She wants me to read it over and over. The pictures have a texture and she runs her little fingers over it each time! Great book - Great illustrations - Fun to read!

Continuing in his popular very young readers series "Bee Attitudes" author/artist Charles Reasoner now offers some vital lessons in safety.

In today's world we know it's important to teach even our youngest the necessity of being cautious and aware. So, with his eye-catching illustrations the author reminds children to be careful around water, and to wear the appropriate safeguards when they play.

Of course, crossing the street safety is included as well as a reminder to practice safety every day.

Entomologist Stephen Buchmann and award-winning children's book author Diana Cohn present The Bee Tree, a stunning children's picturebook based on the real-life traditions of honey hunters of Malaysia's indigenous people, who use special techniques to collect honey from dangerous, 1-inch long giant honeybees of the rainforest. Though fierce, the giant wild honeybees are also a critical link of the rainforest's ecology, and are deeply respected by the honey hunters. The Bee Tree recounts the legend of Hitam Manis, a servant girl who became transformed into a bee, and tells of the many precautions honey hunters take to avoid being stung (such as collecting honey only on moonless nights, and sending sparks to the ground to lure away guardian bees from the honeycomb), all through the eyes of a young boy being schooled in ancient ways. Illustrator Paul Mirocha made five trips to Malaysia to perfectly capture the color, life, and near-magical wonder of the Malaysian rainforest and its bees in this wonderful picturebook, supplemented at the end with a section of amazing facts about Malaysia's rainforests, bee trees with up to one hundred bee honeycombs, and honey hunters. Highly recommended.

Beeing is about learning to deal with life, from the big problems down to the little ones. It is about learning those lessons we all learn about in this school we call life. And understanding that we will never learn everything. We are always students.
But be warned, that the book is very much a emotional roller coaster ride, making me both laugh and cry. Also, I learned as much about beekeeping from this book as I have from books written by beekeepers. The author Rosanne Daryl Thomas really crafts a lovely and heart felt memoir.

My first grader brought this book home for her accelrated reading assignment and was immediately drawn to the colors used. After reading each page she studied the artwork and observed how well it depicted what she had just read. The illustrations truly reinforce the content of the book which is not only informative but wonderfully written. The interaction between the grandfather and granddaughter is warming. The gentle manner in which he allows his granddaughter to help and experience the art of beekeeping is a lesson in love, patience and trust. A great example of how two people of different generations can relate and of how the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can truly be. Amidst all the interaction the reader learns a wealth about beekeeping. It's a delightful book for the eye, the ear, the imagination, the mind and the heart.