Spider Books

My six year old had this was for summer reading and has been carrying it around to show us all

My two year old likes this book. Colorful pages. I was looking for books that had some thing to do with butterflies - her current fascination. And there are indeed butterflies in this book.

We bought this book for my two year old, as Fish Wish was his favorite and we like the author's style. Another wonderful and colorful / informative book. It was especially great as an introduction to summer.

I bought the book for my granddaughter who loves bugs.
She loves the book and has her mom read it to her everyday.

My daughter is 14 months old and she absolutely loves this book. She pages through it over and over again. We have a pile of about 20 books for her to "read" and this is always the first book she grabs. She points to the bugs and we say the name and then she'll turn the page and continue. She loves the bright color pages. I just wish it came in board book version, because she's wearing out the pages. She is just one, so she's a little rough on paper pages. ;) I love the page in the back that teaches you about the insects.

This book (Cech and Tudor) is perhaps the best nature guidebook ever, definitely the best butterfly or insect book. It is a beautifully illustrated guide to the animals and their natural habitats on the east coast, where I live. It covers most butterflies for the central U. S. and eastern Canada as well, and similar coverage for Texas (with the greatest diversity of all) and the west coast would be great if they could do this project as well.

This is a very informative book and will help you identify butterflies and learn about their habbitats and habits. Not a pocket or field guide, mostly a coffee table book. Very pretty pictures and again a great learning tool!

Not a book that is easily carried around in the field (though I just heard there is a softcover) this book provides much more in depth information on each species compared to other field guides. Great buy!

This is an excellent serious work, not a field guide. The illustrations are all clear color photographs with the best field identifications, range maps and lists of brooding plants I have seen. It is also the most comprehensive for the East Coast of the U. S.. My interest is creating a butterfly garden. It would have benefitted from a list of common names, illustrations of the chrysalides, and a list of food plants, but otherwise it is a wonderfully complete scholarly work.

What part do beauty, grace and harmlessness play for the tough to get going when the going gets tough? According to authors Rick Cech and Guy Tudor, Charles Darwin would say none. For Darwin's survival of the fittest means being as ferocious, speedy and strong as lions and tigers and bears. Yet beautiful, graceful, harmless butterflies have been around much longer than ferocious bears, speedy tigers and strong lions.

As of 1992, 44 fossil records were "officially described" for butterflies. The oldest butterfly fossils date back 48 million years. They were found in Colorado and Texas. They were of metalmarks, nymphalids and swallowtail-like types

But butterflies probably first showed up 60-145 million years ago, along with the first land-growing plants. They make up the largest numbers of plant-eating insects. That's quite a big deal. Only 9 of 29 insect orders have learned to eat plants. Many plants are hard to chew, with thick or waxy outsides. Others are poisonous or friendly to parasitic flies and wasps.

So are butterflies the flighty, intellectual lightweights of the insect world? No, say the authors. In fact, the phrase "bright as a butterfly" means colorful and intelligent. For example, beautifully colored patterns identify Baltimores, Monarchs, Pipevine Swallowtails and Zebra Heliconians as poisonous plant-eaters. Heliconians have a "large mushroom body in their brains thought to be associated with learning." They live at least 6 months, the longest butterfly lifespan. [Mourning cloaks live 11 months. But they sleep through late summer and winter.] They go to the same home every evening, show younger Zebras a regular route of pollen flowers and foodplants, and don't beat against florescent lights.

However, the authors think caterpillars mightn't be so smart. I'm not sure I agree. It's a challenge outrunning cold, disease, drought, fungi, mold, pesticides and storms. It's a bigger challenge keeping out of harm's way from ambush and assassin bugs, ants, birds, lizards, people, robberflies, small mammals and spiders.

It's a still bigger challenge being born and getting fed. For example, the naughty passionvine is a plant butterflies lay eggs on. It makes "false eggs" so the butterfly thinks the space is already taken. Or its nectar glands attract ants that eat buttefly eggs. Or it sends up "decoy tendrils" to drop and break butterfly eggs. Or it sends out sharp hooks to kill by catching, or putting holes in, butterfly caterpillars.

BUTTERFLIES OF THE EAST COAST tells what Atlantic state butterflies look like, what they eat and where they live. The pictures are clear. The information is well organized. I've seen butterfly gardening work: the butterflies and fireflies of childhood are back! How does this book make the world also safe - from pesticides and people - for butterfly children? It comes down to doing what Virginia Tech's advanced master gardeners say: reduce, reuse, recycle. Stop spraying and swatting caterpillars we'll now recognize as butterfly wannabes. Let nature's cycle of life and food chain work. And photograph the caterpillars the authors didn't find.

Definitely a favorite book of both my son and me. I even ordered it as a baby shower gift. Love it every time I read it.

I give this book to ALL gratuates, I read it every year to my kids classes since Kindergarten and just read it to 3rd graders. Every parent needs to teach this to thier kids at any age. I read it often for myself!! A great great book!!

The beautiful, colorful illustrations provide an incredible backdrop for the author's inspirational rhyming verse. This a book I've read to my children (ages 5 and 9) over and over. I also use it as a tool to encourage the [...]students I work with to have a great attitude, never give up and believe in themselves. It is also my first choice to give as a graduation gift.

I purchased this book from one of my neighbors who was raising money for her school. When I got it, my son was just a few months old and I put it aside with all the "When he gets older books." When he was 2 1/2 yrs old, he found the book and asked me to read it to him. What a wonderful book! I was so upset with myself for waiting over 2 yrs to read it! My son LOVES this book, and so do all of friends. I have bought countless copies and given them as gifts. Everyone just raves about it! It's a story that needs to be told. Giving your child the gift of confidence...what could be better than that?!

My son got this book as a gift for his 1st birthday (and signed by the author!). We read this book once or twice a week. My 18 month old loves it and he points out Buzzy on every page. I like it because it also uses "big" words in a way that you don't normally see in children's literature (words like frustration, envious, and destination). The illustrations are beautiful - the colors are very vibrant and really hold my child's attention as I read to him. I think when he gets older he'll like it for the moral of the story. Overall, this is a favorite in our collection.

I can't say enough about this book! It is so easy to understand, yet packed with solid, science-based information. Thanks for a great read!

I HAD ALL, YES ALL, OF MY SPIDER VIENS REMOVED BY A BEVERLY HILLS COSMETIC DERMOTOLOGIST 5 YEARS AGO WITH THE NEEDLE/SALINE SOLUTION FOR MY LEGS AND LAZER FOR MY FACE. ALL OF THE VEINS ARE BACK!! IN THE SAME PLACE, JUST AS BAD. I THINK I WILL SAVE MY MONEY AND NOT TRY THAT AGAIN!!

This is the book I've been searching for! It helped me determine what I needed to do for my problem and find competent professional treatment. It also has a great section on prevention and diet. Finally, I can wear shorts again!

Not only does this book tell you what you should do once you get varicose veins in order to get rid of them but it tells you how to prevent them. Because it is so well written, everyone can understand this book. And everyone should own this book!

For a tiny book, this packs a wallop of information. I work in the medical field and have been searching for answers to my questions about varicose and spider veins for a long time. I was pretty surprised to learn that the doctors and nurses I work with were as ignorant as I was! The next step was the medical library. I searched for a book--and all I came up with were medical texts the size of phone books and filled with medical jargon. Being in the medical field, I understand the jargon but I really didn't want to wade through it to get the information I needed. Then I found Get Rid of the Blues on the web. What I like most about it is that the author did tons of research (from those boring books I didn't want to read!) and boiled it down to a "cut-to-the-chase" primer. Thank you, Mary Johnson, for writing this book. I can't begin to tell you what a difference it's made for me.

My children really liked this book - it is sweet. I would recommend it if your child is having a little school anxiety.

It's about time that a book such as this one hit the shelves!! I work in the public school system and see 'separation anxiety' on a daily basis. Not only do children identify with the main character (what a cutie-pie!), the helpful tips in the book provide parents with the support they need to 'let go'and. I've noticed that many of the foster children in our program enjoy reading this book. All of the adults at my school have purchased copies of this book for their children, as well as, for their families. I can't wait to read more books by this author!!!!!

I have four children. My youngest started kindergarten this year and was extremely nervous about it. He's very clingy and very used to just being with me. Although he had attended pre-school, the idea of going on a bus to a "big school" frightened him. I heard about this book from a friend of mine and read it to my son a few days before he started school. He really enjoyed it and asked if he could bring it into school with him!The teacher read it to the class and raved about it too. This is definitely a beautiful and bright way of easing a young child's anxiety (and mom's anxiety!) about going off to school.

My daughter started to have issues with separation anxiety when she began first grade. After starting the new year, she started refusing to go to school and would cry for hours. It broke my heart to see her this way, and after speaking to her teacher and vice principal, we agreed that it would take some time and that we would all have to work together. I saw this book online and decided to give it a try. First of all, it is geared towards children. The pictures, as well as the story, helped my daughter relate to the main character. We even tried some of the things that the character did to help her feel secure in school. My daughter would bring a picture of us to school, or bring a small teddy bear to look at when she started to feel sad. We also cut a piece of one of my shirts and she would use it to not only dry her tears, but to carry in her pocket. In addition to the book, my daughter did see a child psychologist twice. Although it was a long and tough struggle, I am happy to say that it is now 4 months later and she is doing very well and has adjusted to first grade. What a relief! I recommend this book for those of you who find yourself in the situation that I was in. It is a great supplement to have while working towards helping your child gain that inner strength and courage. I advise you to use as many resources as you can.

I have a 3 year-old daughter who had a hard time adjusting to leaving me and going to pre-school. I have read "The Kissing Hand", a sweet book, but this one is much more specific to the feelings that children can have when they don't want to leave their Moms. My daughter loved the Honey Bee character. The book helps children to help themselves and it tells you exactly how to do it. The illustrations are adorable, too!

This is a great story, well-told without being preachy, about a subject that concerns every child from time to time. A++

The beautiful lesson of this tale is that each of us is unique with talents and gifts that enrich others' lives. The poor little cricket in the story is unhappy because he has been told he is ugly. He wishes he were a beautiful butterfly. Little does he know that by the end of the story, it is the beautiful butterfly who will be admiring him for the lovely music he can make!
I have an autistic son, and this book is an absolute treasure to me. Every child - every person, really - should be nurtured to understand the lesson of this story: that he or she is special and wonderful just the way he or she is!

I Wish I Were a Butterfly is one of my favorite books to share with children. The lesson is one that can never be taught too often. The illustrations are art quality and captivating. It is the perfect book to carry into most classrooms as a "guest" reader. Few children have experienced this book, but I've never read it to a class (or child) that did not enjoy it.

As a future teacher, I am always looking for books that will be both enjoyable and educational. This is a great book for social studies concepts in younger grades (K-2) and excellent for elements of literature in older grades (3+). The message is one that children can never hear enough: You have gifts that should not be neglected!

As a teacher, I can not tell you enough how fabulous this book is! It not only has beautiful illustrations it also has a beautiful message! I use this whenever I teach my butterfly unit, and this is always the kids favorite book that I read! Buy it - you will not regret it!

Martha is a moth that is getting ready for her birthday bash. As she cooks the "food" for her party she gets really hungry. She ends up eating all but 2 socks! When her friends arrive she is really sad she has no food to serve them. Read and find out how they cheer her up!


The books was well written and just the right length for a picture book. The pages had lots of great illustrations to talk about while reading.


Yes. It's a neat way to learn about moths!

I read this to my children ages 8-3 and they all loved it. It is a very fun story with great illustrations that the kids keep asking me to read over and over. Highly recommended

My 19-month daughter loves animal books, and loves this book about Martha and her friends. Even though the distinction between moth and butterfly is still lost on her, I always get a giggle out of her when she realizes that Martha is eating clothing!

Both she and I love the wonderful watercolour illustrations, which remind of me the books I read as a child as opposed to some of the more disturbing drawings and cartoons children view today.

The story line is obviously meant for kids older than my daughter, but the colour and pictures keep even little ones entertained. I wish there were a simpler version of these characters in a laminated boardbook format for littler readers.

This book is a gem! Cambria's artwork along with this remarkably witty storyline create a warm and cozy "socksy" feeling for any reader. This is certainly a cuddle up by a fire, or relax under the neighbors apple tree read. I loved it, and would suggest it for any children's book enthusiast!

I am a member and founder of a childrens book club with 57 members that has been meeting once a month to lauch a new book for the last four years. I picked MARTHA MOTH as the celebrated new book of the month and arranged for all the matching feastivities to accompany for the books unveiling. Socks draped, cut out moths and a special dust drink. The reading was fantastic and the other parents and teachers were thrilled to have a book full of spice and imagination. The pictures were bold with creativity...a real feast for the eyes. I hope Martha has many adventures in the near future- as it was our book club shinning star thus far.

Anyone who opens its covers...children, teachers, parents... agrees that award winning MONARCH MAGIC is one of the best resources for Monarch Butterfly enthusiasts. The full color photographs are outstanding. The text was originally reviewed by the honored Dr. Lincoln Brower, the country's most well-known authority on monarch butterflies and habitat preservation. I highly recommend MONARCH MAGIC for classrooms everywhere! My students LOVE it!

My second grade students loved this book! They were thrilled to have an autographed copy. The activities were age appropriate and fun follow up activities to support our study of the Monarch's lifecycle. We took photos of our butterflies and the kids thought that we should submit them so Lynn Rosenblatt could have them for her next book. Thanks for the great resource.

Monarch Magic has served my early childhood classroom well! We have found the pictures to be very captivating for the young learners, the crafts are great and easily adaptable for young children. I highly recommend this book to educators, the students instantly became interested in nature and excited to find and learn more about monarchs.

I have been photographing a Monarch metamorphosis and looking at many books - this one is by far THE BEST!

I am an educator. Speaking professionally, this is a book both the child and parent cannot put down. The pictures are amazing and the projects are extremely well conceived and easily accomplished at home or in the classroom. The history and explanations provided are extremely comprehensive, yet very easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to students, parents, and teachers.

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.

All the Fly Guy books have become extremely popular during bedtime reading in our house. Both my 5 and 6 year old love them. They are all very funny. I would recommend you buy all three books and read them in order. The first book introduces the two characters (Fly Guy and Buzz) and explains how they became friends.
They were our favorite books until we bought The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend, which is our current favorite.

It has been a constant struggle getting my 6 year old to read. She says the books at her reading level are boring. She picked up this book and now she reads it all of the time. It is the only book she enjoys reading by herself.

Shoo Fly guy is a cute little story about a boy and his pet fly. The boy goes on a picnic and the fly tries to find him.

My daughter liked following his fly patterns and the stuff he visits.

I was a little concerned about one incident where he goes by a road kill frog. But she is fascinated by death for some reason(we lost a cat) so it didn't bother her.

On thing she did like is where the author describes the last effort and draws a random fly pattern that involves saying "and on" 30 times.

Overall a fun read!

The Fly Guy books have been great for my daughter. She is mildly autistic, so her reading level is around kindergarten even though she is in third grade. She often feels that the books at her level are babyish or boring. Fly Guy is funny and disgusting and very appealing to her. She also likes the idea of reading a real "chapter book". This book especially makes good use of repeating somewhat difficult words in the same phrases, so she can read faster as the book goes on. Thanks Tedd Arnold, and please write many more!

This book is a work of obscene art, naughty and brilliant. And though straight, I'd almost instantly fall in love with Shaalis.

Many of my favorite comix share the quality of appearing to be self-contained artifacts dropped in from a different world, like the encyclopedia volume in Borges' "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius." They create little worlds with a totally persuasive ecology and aesthetic. Some examples of this have been THB #1 by Paul Pope, Louis by Metaphrog, New Hat by Tom Hart, and Cave-In by Brian Ralph (only the last of those is available through Amazon, unfortunately).

The Spider Garden and its sequel, Hydrophidian, overflow with this quality. Drawing on Japanese woodblock prints and Cyberpunk science fiction, Manning creates an engrossing world of intrigue and decadence.

It's worth emphasizing that Spider Garden is also extremely kinky and explicit fetish porn. It's rare that someone creates a work of artistically ambitions erotica where the sexual heat is not stifled by the author's pretentions, but here the intricate and subtle plot and the extensive sex scenes achieve a symbiotic relationship that increases the power of both.

Manning has only begun to explore the world he suggests in these books, and his output is notoriously slow. I hope to see many more volumes of this story before he ends the series.

Note: Unfortunately, like so many NBM books, the binding is lousy. The content bears repeated re-readings, but the spine does not.

Not as strong as his later book Transeptor, but Spider Garden is a cool dream world of bondage and domination. Buy it for the art...and you'll be taken to places that will fill your dreams for years to come.

There are only three graphic artists that I will collect every single thing they draw - Erich von Gotha, Xavier Duvet, and Michael Manning.

His art has a style like no other. Hard lines, and soft curves. Beautiful figures, voluptuous and enticing. Clad in leather and latex, corsets and boots. A cross between traditional Japanese woodcut style with a post modern gothic flair. It's wicked and decadent, and at the same time a little tragic. Even in the most depraved acts, you have to marvel at the simple beauty of the work.

There is a little something to entice the darkdreams in us all. A must for any collector.

the fetishism isn't cheesy. the sex isn't cheesy. the storyline is engaging and artwork is absolutely beautiful. it left me wanting more . . . and within two minutes of me showing my copies to various friends they were shoving money into my hands, begging me to order them their own books.