What if spiders have feelings too? (Aaaarrgghh, Spider! - Lydia Monks)

Member Name: azana

Product:	Aaaarrgghh, Spider! - Lydia Monks
Date:	13/01/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very catchy and enjoyable

Disadvantages: You may end up reading it aloud again and again

Imagine a world that is turned on its head - as the illustration on the first page of this book is - where the spider is the hero of the book....

Aaaarrgghh Spider is a delightful paperback (also available in boardbook version) where the spider tells the story. The spider decides that he wants to be a pet and goes about courting a family by trying to show them how lovely he is and what a great pet he would make.

Of course his efforts to make the family love him by showing how clean he is (being in the bath) and how low maintenance he is don't work at first and lead to him being thrown out with a "aaaarrgghh spider out you go!". Our eight legged hero tries all that he can to become a pet like any other in what is a cracking read.

Toddlers love joining in with the refrain of the book and the story takes a humourous change as the spider gets accepted but then gets a little over confident. I don't want to ruin the ending for you, but suffice to say that this is an engaging and fantastic book!

The illustrations are bright and colourful and just lovely for preschoolers. There are a couple of satisfyingly glittery pages amongst the 32 pages (14 pages of text and just long enough for prebedtime) too.

The humour of this book appeals to slightly older children as well as the younger market, and it is a firm family favourite here, much enjoyed by one 2 year old and one just 5 year old. I can't promise that it will make you like spiders if you are anything like me (I try mainly unsuccessfully to hide my feelings of revulsion) but at least it may make you smile a little.

I can thoroughly recommend this book, it is currently (jan 2008) part of the Sunday Times free books for schools, worth collecting tokens for.

I think this book deserves to join the classicly well known books for preschoolers like "The Gruffalo" and "the Hungry Caterpillar. It would make a great present.

A great book!

Summary: A delightful book