The Spider and the Fly

The book I chose for my first response is The Spider and the Fly by Tony Diterlizzi. The book is based on a poem written by Mary Howitt in 1829. It received a Caldecott Award in 2002. I should actually be more truthful and tell you that it was my four year old daughter that chose this book. I have had the book for years and read it with my ten year old when she was about six. I thought that it was still a little too scary for my youngest and I had all but forgotten it was on my shelf; that is until after class on Monday. When I got home I was greeted by Sarah. She was holding the book and proudly pronounced that she had read this book while I was gone and that it was not too scary. I asked her what it was about and she said "It is about a spider who tricks a fly and eats her". Good enough. We read the book at bedtime. As I began reading, I remembered that recently Sarah had mentioned that her class was learning about strangers. I have also had conversations with both my children about strangers and how they may attempt to trick you into going with them. I was happy that Sarah chose this book. The illustrations in this book are amazing. The author has even included the text as part of the illustration (framing them, adorning them with scroll work or placing them in the middle of a web). The entire book is done in black and white. There is a Gothic feel to the drawings. They remind me of some of the black and white horror movies I watched as a child. In addition to setting the mood of this story; the illustrations tell the story (as evidenced by my daughter's retelling of what she had "read"). Pictures of this quality make text all but unnecessary. The poem on which this book is based is wonderful in its own right. As evidenced by the fact that it has been published and read for nearly 180 years. Many of my favorite picture books are essentially illustrated poetry. I am sure it began with my adoration of Dr. Seuss from childhood. The rhyming and meter make it fun and easy to read aloud. Finally, as a parent and teacher, I am constantly looking for literature that will help me teach valuable life lessons. Something that has a little more umphhh than "because I said so". This book fits that bill as well. It gives parents an opportunity to discuss the important issue of stranger safety in a way that is a little less intimidating for parent and child while still getting the point across. We are learning to determine what constitutes quality children's literature during this semester. As a parent and a teacher I already have many thoughts and opinions on this subject. This book definitely fits squarely into the category of worthwhile and meaningful stories for children.