Hodder Children’s Books ISBN 9781444933499 £12.99
Alison Steadman has written her first book for children. She loves spiders and believes in the importance of teaching children to appreciate and take care of creatures. Mum, Dad, Rafael and the cat hate spiders. Everyone is agitated when a BIG HAIRY SCARY SPIDER appears in the living room. Gradually Rafael gets to know him and learns about the creature. There is much humour in the story which has charming illustrations by Mark Chambers. The endpapers show silhouettes of different types of spiders. There are plenty of spider facts presented throughout the story, such as engineers are studying spider silk to work out how spiders can make it so strong. These interest and inspire children. By the end of the story Rafael, his parents and the cat warm towards the spider. The final page of the book is a House Spider Pledge which children can sign. The book is fun. It entertains and educates, and is highly recommended for children aged 3 to 5
Brenda Marshall, SATIPS Council