Spider Books

My daughter (age 7) is never "keen" to read books. When she told me she liked the "Fly Guy" books she read in class - I went and bought the series! There are 5 books, total. The stories are silly and have a fun "gross" factor that most kids would enjoy. The books have a few chapters, but they are easy readers and so it allows the kids to have a sense of accomplishment (having read a "Chapter" book), while not being too labor-intensive. I would definitely recommend them for kids that need to be "encouraged" to read.

My little girl was introduced to fly guy in Super Fly Guy! She just loved the story! Of course we had to pick up the first story!

Buzz is looking for something to catch for the Amazing Pet Show. He meets fly guy as the bump into each other. Well fly guy boinks his noise. He catches him and takes him home but nobody believes a fly can be a pet! Dad tries to get him with a flyswatter! My girl told him NO! Even at the show, the judges keep telling him a fly is not a pet! But flyguy wins them over in the end!

This book deservedly won the Theodor Geisel award as it's really easy to read and it's interesting enough to keep children interested.

Artwork is great as my girl did not get tired of the pictures!

Used this book with groups of struggling readers. It was motivating and they wanted to read the sequels. They are very fond of Fly Guy now, and they are very excited about the next book. They want to write a letter to Tedd Arnold and ask him to write more Fly Guy books.

My three year old daughter has an odd bug phobia and this book is the best! The graphics and story are so funny that I actually don't mind reading it over and over. I get as much of a kick out of it as she does. Of the 100+ books we have for our kids this is my reigning favorite!

This is officialy my six year old daughter's breakthrough book - the first book she picked up on her own and read by herself. The fun story and pictures pulled her in, the carefully crafted text kept her from getting stuck and giving up.

We've since ordered every Ted Arnold book we can get our hands on and she has built up enough confidence now that she can get though harder books.

Highly recommended!

This is a amazing book filled with full color glossy pages on every page! The perfect way to get your hands on the "originals." These books make great collectors editions. You will want to display this beauty! I purchased this for my husband who loves Spiderman & this is the only way for him to "have" the spectacular story from the very begining. This hard cover book with colorful dustjacket makes a great gift for any comic book fan as long as they don't insist on the real deal.

I purchased this collection for my father as a gift. HE LOVES IT!!! He owned many of the original Spiderman comics when he was a child and living on a military base in Japan. When my grandfather was stationed back in the U.S. my grandmother made him leave them in Japan.
This is a great gift for any true Spideerman fans or anyone who wants to get familiar with the actual comics. :)

An irradiated spider bite, a tragic twist of fate, a poignant proverb; over the years there have been numerous attempts to re-tell or re-interpret Spider-Man's origin. With some of them being successful and others not so much, any Spidey fan's best bet is to actually read the original Lee/Ditko comics in all their grandeur. The Marvel Masterworks series provides Spider-Man fans with this exact opportunity. Important to note - unlike some trades that compile these comics in black & white, in this collection, they are all in magnificent COLOR!

This particular volume, Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Vol.1 consists of Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spider-Man's first appearance) along with Amazing Spider-Man #1-10. This volume provides a great window to explore the original and definitive origin of Spider-Man with the introduction of his supporting cast, including: Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Flash Thompson, Liz Allen, Betty Bryant, and J.J. Jameson. We also see first appearances by classic villains, such as: Chameleon, Vulture, Doc Ock, Sandman, Lizard, and Electro, along with lesser known foes such as: the Fantastic Four's Doctor Doom, the Terrible Tinkerer, the Living Brain, and the Enforcers. Spider-Man also runs into some allies, with the Human Torch making multiple guest appearances as the webslinger's teenage foil.

Overall, the strength of these stories is Stan Lee's revolutionary concept in re-defining the traditional characteristics of a superhero. Unlike the morally perfect, father-figures that had dominated comic book pages for decades, Peter Parker was a socially awkward teenager who reflected his youth-oriented readers. Reading these early comics, we witness what is to become the trademark of Peter Parker's life: problems. From girl issues to money woes to his physically feeble Aunt May, it is Peter's personal life that remains the emotional core of his stories. While other heroes have the ability to retreat into their secret-identity, Peter's personal life is only more complicated by his newly earned powers and responsibilities. It is this aspect that made Spider-Man the most relatable superhero. Steve Ditko equally contributes to the success of the wallcrawler by making Spider-Man's world stand out with unique visuals, quirky costumes, and greatly depicted battles, particularly the classic showdown with Doctor Octopus.

Like all older comics, there is some dated dialogue that doesn't translate well into the vocabulary of the 21st century. There also is a tendency for Spider-Man and his villains to verbally narrate every action they engage in. However, the joyful and emotionally compelling nature of these stories diminishes these flaws entirely. This is a must have for any old or new Spider-Man fan!

That's what I call a great comic book collection! It just covers the earlier adventures of the Amazing Spider-man (#1-10 plus Amazing Fantasy #15) and the episodes'arts and scripts may not be as entertaining as some on the further issuses but still this collection remains a classic of its genre and is functional to the full understanding of the super-hero character Spider-Man.

For people who love comic books this is a nice thing to have. See how the Amazing Stan Lee started out his most popular creation. This book begins with Amazing Fantasy # 15 where Spiderman made his first ever appearance then goes on to present Amazing Spiderman # 1 - # 10. It includes Spidermans origin and goes on into battle with some of Spideys' most enduring enemies from Doctor Octopus to the Lizard, to Electro, Dr Doom and the Sandman. Spiderman even battles the Fantastic Four. The book even includes a small introduction by Stan Lee. The Marvel Masterworks series sits really well on the bookshelf next to the DC Archives sets. Collect books from both publishers and build a nice library of Superhero Mythologies.

I first read A Rustle in the Grass in gradeschool. From then on (I'm 16), I haven't read a better book. Every last character is very well made, from Dreamer to Storyteller to the Spider. This book might look childish when you first see it, but it is an excellent tale for all ages.

As a kid I was very interested in social insects. I had an ant farm, I absorbed hundreds of books on ants, bees, wasps and termites. I watched PBS specials and National Geographic shows whenever the topic was about any one of the above creatures.
So, when I found this book only a few years ago I bought it on the spot.
The story is good but I have been spoiled by my knowledge of how social insects, like ants, really work together, so much of the story seems silly to me. As a child I would have loved it but as an adult who finds facts to be more wonderful than any fiction, it didn't really do anything for me.
It is fantasy, pure and simple, yet it reminds us about another world. While hiking only a few weeks ago, me and a friend, found a few yards of the path covered with a swarm of large ants. They seemed to be searching, foraging, all working together - none that I could see were fighting each other so I assume they were all from the same nest. There must have been thousands on the path and in the grass bordering it. My friend pointed out that there was a jungle right under our feet.
The ants ignored us even as we tried to walk down the path without stepping on them. We were not of their world - not even dangerous giants to flee from. Maybe we were like a storm or a flash flood - a part of nature that they can't do anything about so why get upset over it?
A good book for a child but not really for an adult unless that person had it as a child and had good memories of it.

I first discovered this book when I was nine years old. My parents went to a flea market, and I had a quarter that I was determined to spend. The only thing I found for a quarter was this book- "A Rustle in the Grass." I bought it.

As a fourth grader, it took me nearly two months to finish. But it became my favorite book until this day. (I am now 24.) I made a habit of reading it once a year. When I was in sixth grade, my teacher told the class that she would read our favorite books after lunch time, if we would bring them to her. Naturally I brought this book to her. But I guess she was skeptical, b/c somehow all the other books that kids brought got read first (and some of them were pretty dumb). Finally, a week before school was out, I begged her to start the book. She did. We got through about three chapters and school was done. My teacher asked to borrow the book over the summer. I let her, and the following year received it back. Two years later my younger sister was in sixth grade and had this same teacher. She said in our classroom bookshelf there was a 20-copy set of this book for all of the students to read. Apparently my teacher also loved it.

As time went by I let someone borrow my copy and never saw it again. I had to order another copy from Barnes and Noble (they don't carry it) and then I ended up giving that one to a friend. I bought another used copy but I never seem to be able to keep something so good to myself. Last year I got married, and I just bought a new used copy. I am quite excited to read this book to my husband.

Although relatively unknown and unheard of, this is by far the best fiction book ever written. I love it, and I have no doubt that anyone who reads it will as well. It is a magical story that tells the tale of human nature, the good and the bad, as portrayed by the inquisical little creatures known as ants.

I love this. I picked it up on a whim when I was very young and ended up stealing it from the school library, still have it too. This is one of those books I buy, whenever I see a copy somewhere, just so I can give it to someone or their kid. The story is enchanting, the biology well-used, and the characters are simply unforgettable. Storyteller still fills me with wonder.

There are very few books that make me nostalgic for innocence and childhood. This one easily tops the list. Buy a used copy, for yourself, for your kids, for any reason at all. Treasure this.

OK- here's the carrot- if your kids are the bookish, quiet introspective types (boys or girls) and you want to maintain that, if not reinforce and foment that- GET THEM THIS BOOK.

used copies pop up often. I've got a few saved up for birthdays and the like.

The characters are so well-constructed, and they're ants!!! Rarely has an anthropomorphic take on the insect world worked so well, at least in my eyes. I haven't messed with an ant since I read this when I was around 10 and I still bristle with anger when someone else does. Dreamer and Storyteller, Snake's Toungue, Spider, The Queen... Every character is well-developed and perfectly used. The writing is deceptively simple- i'd say elegant even. The parables that Storyteller weaves throughout are worth the price of the book alone.

Also, it's one of those books that leave you wanting to know more. I remember sitting around and imagining what else happened to Dreamer, wondering about his adventures...

I re-read this one every few years, it takes me back- a wellspring for nostalgia and fond remembrances. It's one of the books I used to get my little brother to love reading... it's wonderful, honestly masterful- succinct chapters, fantastic morals, a celebration of hope and courage and dignity in the face destruction. I kid you not, this book is a panacea for empty, nihilistic trash.

This is MOST DEFINATLY a MUST-HAVE item. One of the most beautiful books I have seen! Perfection is the one word that sums up this purchase! And wotta deal!! What are U waiting for??????? Order this NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The quality of this fist stories are still the best. There is drama and humor, there is action and quit moments. The revolutionary visions of Steve Ditko shine in this oversized pages. I review the second printing and the binding is different to the older Omnibus editions. The binding is better because now it is possible to wide open the pages.

Marvel did a good job on creating this book. If you are a spiderman fan get this book, you will not be disappointed.

Steve Ditko's art work was an acqired taste for me. His old people all looked Asian, his girl's were too thin, and his adversarial figures had
bowed lower legs. That said, he was more adventurous than King Kirby, es-pecially when he tackled Dr. Strange. Ditko was perfect for that strip,
but his breakthrough was the early Spider-Man, and for that, I will always be grateful. Get this one, if you're young. Compare it to the
masturbatory, nihilistic issues of today, and come to your own conclusions, if you can.

Simply put... If I was stranded on a desert island and I could have only one book... this would be it. Quite possibly the greatest run in comics history. These are not only the best Spider-Man stories ever, they're some of the best comic stories... PERIOD. Stan Lee's writing is fun and upbeat with a great sense of comic timing and adventure. Steve Ditko's pencils are tight and bursting with kinetic energy. (Definitely the best work of his career). Even though I have all of the original issues, as well as the Marvel Masterworks collections of these stories, I still bought this book. It is loaded with extra goodies, like all of the letters columns and some early guest appearances of Spider-Man in other comics, such as, his first team-up with the Human Torch in Strange Tales Annual #2. However, it's the attention to detail that really makes this collection shine. The publishers even went to the trouble of exactly matching the colors to the original comics (i.e. in the first few issues the blue in Spider-Man's costume looks purple, just like it did in the original printings). It may sound cliche, but the bottom line is, if you are a Spider-Man fan or just a comics fan in general, this book is a MUST HAVE!

This is a beautiful and very informative book; I was very pleased with it. I really enjoyed all the behind-the-scenes pictures and the addition of the script is an added bonus.

If you're a Spider-Fan, you need this one. You will not be disappointed.

I think this book has excellent descriptive as well as graphic content which will help me with my coursework.

A comprehensive look at the making of the SPIDER-MAN legend, from comic-book to film. It's an excellent and interesting story to tell, although Behind The Mask didn't deliver in the graphics department. There just aren't enough illustrations, but there is enough to give the reader a feel of being on the set in the midst of the movie-making magic!

Mark Cotta Vaz is the best "Making Of" author in the world and Behind the Mask of Spider-Man: The Secrets of the Movie has everything a discerning film fan could ask for. Without the material entering the annoying world of overkill, this pleasing and informative book breezes along with its fascinating insights into how Spider-Man went from comic to silver screen. With enough inside info and graphic content to satisfy the most info-hungry geek, this is extremely satisfying and also is possibly one of the best film books ever written. It's that simple. Vaz has so many impressive book-writing credits under his belt already, but this is surely his best work. Containing info on the cast and crew, this never fails to interest and Vaz thankfully differs from other authors with a pre-determined un-pretentious standpoint. The early chapters focus on abandoned ideas about a team up of the Green Goblin and Doc Ock, and numerous costume changes for the first movie, where every little detail is spread out in a well-plotted format. Candid interviews with comic and film boys wraps up a nice package that keeps a very special place on my bookshelf. Highly Recommended.

BEHIND THE MASK OF SPIDER-MAN by: Mark Cotta Vaz is one of the best "making of" movie books I have ever read. Fair warning though, this book is so thorough that if you have not already seen Spider-Man then DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! Upon viewing some of the great color photos and reading the indepth information, you'll be completely robbed of any true movie surprises.

With that said...

In 205 pages, Vaz manages to provide tons of background on the characters, history, and production stages of Spider-Man. You'll find everything from pictures of original comic page art to step-by-step photos on the various concept sketches of both Spider-Man and the Green Goblin (Goblin in particuar is all over the place in the various designs). Vaz clearly did his homework as there are numerous interviews and sound bytes from everyone from Stan Lee to Sam Raimi to Willem Dafoe to producers, stunt people, and FX coordinators.

Rarely do "Behind the Scenes" books read as fast and as enjoyable as this one. Now granted, I am a HUGE Spider-Man fan, but I believe that anyone who enjoyed the movie will find lots of insight to be gained from this informative and entertaining book.

My 6 year old is a beginning reader! He is so enjoying this book. He will read it and then read it again. It is a perfect read for him and his facination with bugs!

I acquired this book for my 2-year-old who is fascinated by bugs, especially butterflies. The text is coherent and written in a way a early reader would talk. Some of the Step 1 type books do not impress me, but this one does.

This is a great book for young readers who are just connecting the idea of words having meaning. They are predictable & have good picture context clues. My son loves it & recognized the author from another favorite bedtime story.

Few words per page. Children can reread this story without having yet the ability to decode. Provides early readers with success. Appropriate for English Language Learners of all ages.

This book is a great first book. In fact, it is the first book my son read. *sniff* I'm so proud. :-)

The sentences are short and the pictures hint at what the words may be. I would recommend this to all parents who are helping their children learn to read.

My son loves this book. We talk about the different bugs on each page - he thinks they're so cool. The numbers are a bit of an afterthought for him at this point. But it provides him some exposure, in a fun way, without sticking flashcards in his face.

I like the very good pictures in the books.My favorite book was the Icky Bug Counting book.The pictures are very artistic to some big kies and little kids.But all the books are very good.

I thought The Extinct Alphabet Book was neat because it did not have any dinosaurs.It has a really cool secret.The most cool thing to me was it had cave men (before I read the book I thought cave men were people.)I thought the book was lots of fun! Why don't you read it and see what you think of it?

I think that the Icky Bug Counting Book is really creative. I think this because if you read it backwards it is an alphabet book. Other things that I like in this book are the illustrations, they are terrific and the bugs that are in the book are extraordinary bugs that you don't see in your every day life. This book is excellent!

I read the book The Icky Bug Counting Book. It was cool. After all I think that Ralph Masiello's illustrations are awesome.Did you know that he puts secrets in he's illustrations? He is very creative.

This is the best pop up book we've seen, even including the others in the Snappy series. Nearly every page has a pop up that you can manuver by opening and closing the pages (carefully).

My 18 month old loves this book so much that we are on our second copy...he loves to touch the pop-ups and they hold up really well as long as a "grown-up" is there to supervise! The rhymes are simple and there is not so much text per page that a little one will become antsy waiting to turn the page. We will be investing in more of this series.

This book quickly became a favorite for my baby daughter. She's now 4 mos. old and the Snappy books have been favorites for nearly two months. She loves the bright colors and action.

I am so pleased to find that there are many more of these books available, as our local store only has two and we got one other as a gift. We will definitely be purchasing more of these books!

This is a great pop-up. The pictures are fantastic and my 3 yr old loves how the pop-ups move.

I was really impressed with this line of pop up books!!! This book has bright cutely drawn bugs, and the pop-ups require no tabs to pull -- just open the page and the critters pop up! And I do have to say, the durability is about the best I've seen around! These books aren't totally indistructable, but the are very sturdy. This was the first pop-up book we bought for our son (16 mos old). We had thought, "give our son, a pop up book? you've got to be kidding". You're talking the the parent of a boy whose motto is, "If it's not coming, I just must not be pulling hard enough!" He just doesn't understand some things aren't meant to be pulled apart. But these books have survived very well. I still supervise him with them, the ones that did get ripped...just needed a little tape, and the pop-up still works.

in the family; Life cycle: look at how you've grown; behaviour; defense: poisons, points and pretenders; diversity: all the colors of the rainbow"!

LESS APPROPRIATE words are sometimes better. I will therefore apply the K.I.S.S. ("keep it simple, stupid/silly) principle with regard to my review for this lovely book--
"Young Naturalist's pop-up Handbook: BUTTERFLIES" will make both your heart and soul "FLUTTER!!!"

My daughter loves this book,not just because I love it. It came with a framed paper butterfly she absolutely loved. When I was reading it to her she was asking questions and was so into the book and she learned all about butterflies.

My five year old budding naturalist loved it.

I bought this book for my daughter last Christmas. We still read it at bedtime. The paper butterflies are beautiful and tough. The writing is factual and engaging and the butterflies have kept their shape and stood-up pretty well to little hands bending, pushing, and pulling. The paper butterfly which comes with the book is nice too. We also have the "Beetle" book, which is pretty spectacular as well.

My soon to be four year old son (and Mommy) LOVES this pop up book. It is a wonderful work of art and informative! Two BIG thumbs up on this one!

I am a big fan of the Anansi tales, and the spider's adventures are delightful as well as thought-provoking. For edutainment (educational entertainment) and discussion, I include them in my high school / college level introduction to mythology / humanities survey courses. All ages can enjoy a clever trickster hero who possesses many human qualities, the good and bad--who makes us think about our own deeds and behavior.

In Anansi The Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti, Gerald McDermott retells an Anansi story with warmth, cultural sensitivity, and bright, attention-seizing illustrations. Among the children's books about Anansi, McDermott's efforts stand in a unique place because the text is used sparingly and with great effect, conveying important events only and not burying key ideas in lavish descriptions or dialogues. In this book, the elaborate, geometric illustrations paint the "descriptions" that the text omits.

Features that I like...

The map in the opening that shows the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. (I'm always happy to see a bit of geography dropped into stories, especially those designed for children.)

The Prologue, which describes the importance of folklore, mythology, and legends. I especially appreciate this statement: "Folklore prepares man for adult life. It places him within his culture."

Rather than beginning the story with the familiar "Once upon a time...," the author uses "Time was..." which is cool! :)

Each of the spider sons in the story is unique in design, appearance, and talent, which makes him easy (and fun) to identify as the tale unfolds. The six sons are See Trouble, Road Builder, River Drinker, Game Skinner, Stone Thrower, and Cushions.

The character of Anansi is rendered with an expressive personality and face while his sons' faces are not shown--just their designs, bodies, and talents. Anansi's face changes emotions based on his experiences, and this would be an excellent teaching element for very young children upon hearing / seeing the story.

Themes & Talking Points the book offers:

Counting, colors, shapes, animals, teamwork, family, intro to Africa [Very Young Children]

Reading; Cause & Effect; Critical Thinking & Response; African Culture. How does Anansi get into and out of trouble? // Each spider is an individual with a specific skill or trait; each spider has a place in the family. What does this suggest about the culture of the Ashanti? // The rescue of Anansi is really a team effort by the sons, but who should get the reward? Does the ending solve this problem? [For children 5-12]

Reading & Design; Symbolism; Critical Analysis; Author Intent; Culture. Why did the author / illustrator choose not to show the faces of the six sons in the story? How does this choice affect the story? How does Anansi's face tell his story? What is the relationship between a son's name and his unique design? In what instances is Anansi's face NOT shown and why? What lessons are taught in this tale? What universal themes are present? Does this book deserve its "honor" designation? [For tweens through college students]

Anansi and his sons are popular guys in our home. My son and daughter (nearly 4 and 6) just adore them, and I enjoy the fact that this book demonstrates how well cooperation works. Not to mention that we get to discuss the story, Ghana, and how people are both like us *and* are different from us.

In this story Anansi heads out for a walk only to be besieged by problems, first from a hungry fish, and then from a falcon. He would have been lunch were it not for his caring sons who fortunately have super-arachnid abilities.

Four Stars. Good Read-aloud. Good story with a moral. My daughter even decided to practice reading this fun and exciting story.

Anansi is one cool African trickster, and he does it again in this book! When he tries to determine which of his six sons to reward for saving his life, he becomes responsible for putting the moon in the sky.

My 18 month old son loves the artwork in this book. There is a lot to talk about on each page. For the first time it seems that my son is following the story and not just dealing with one page at a time. He waits eagerly for the page when Anansi is swallowed by a fish (don't worry it is not violent in any way!) Since there are 6 spider sons there are lots of opportunities for counting. My 18 month old can now count to 6.

The Anansi stories have been handed down through generations of Ashanti culture. This book is a wonderful, vibrant and vivid story for children of all ages. Born in Ghana I left at aged 3, leaving much of the Ghanaian culture behind. At aged 30 I can still remember a song about Anansi the spider, the only remnants left of my native tongue. I was given the Anansi book as a child, it captivated me, I read it over and over again, and it provided a connection to my past. At 16, I spent hours crafting a cushion embroidered an illustration from the book that was a childhood favorite. Sadly, the book was lost and I never thought I could get it again. Now, some 14 years since I last saw the book I can still visualize the pictures and hear the wonderful tale of Anansi the spider, his sons and the moon. I have just bought two copies, one for my niece and one for my two year old daughter. I absolutely cannot wait to read them again and again and pass this memorable story to a new generation.