Book Review of Where Do Spiders Come From?
Sponsored* | All opinions are our own
The Children’s Book Review
Where Do Spiders Come From?
Written by S. R. Schechter
Illustrated by Siski Kalla
Ages: 4-6 | 40 Pages
Publisher: Innocent I Publishers (2022) | ISBN: 979-8-9854562-2-6
What to Expect: Spiders, nature, curiosity, imagination.
In this gentle and encouraging picture book, readers will meet a narrator who doesn’t mind spiders at all—curious, empathetic, and imaginative, she knows the spiders won’t hurt her!
Spiders, spiders, everywhere! There are spiders in the kitchen and in the bathroom, sitting next to the soap. There are spiders hanging from the bedroom ceiling and hiding under the sheets. There are black spiders, brown spiders, gray spiders, big spiders, and delicate spiders with spindly legs. But where do they all come from? Do they come in with the cats? Do they hitch a ride through the letterbox as the day’s post is delivered? Do they abseil down the chimney? No matter where they come from, one thing is for sure—they’re going back outside, where they can grow and thrive!
While the narrator may be engaging, it’s the spiders who are the real stars of the story—numerous, diverse, and bursting with personality—as they crawl across the pages having a wonderful time. A fear of spiders is very common among children and adults alike, but the combination of cheerful rhyming text and illustrations that feature happy, friendly spiders and cozy home scenes helps alleviate those fears, reframing spiders as both fascinating and harmless. At the end of the book, a facts page and quiz questions encourage readers to learn more about spiders,
Perfect for readers who need a little bit of help overcoming (or avoiding) arachnophobia, Where Do Spiders Come From? will both instruct and delight.
Buy the Book
About the Author
S.R. (Steve) Schechter, author and poet, has been interested in poems and spiders since his mother sang “the itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout” to him. That was a long, long time ago! He’s read and written poems all of his life, and along the way has had many spider friends. He first came across them outside, then later, when he took on the monthly job of cleaning his family’s garage. Steve has always felt a deep connection to nature, including to spiders—and even more to spiders now that Freddie (a true daddy long legs, or cellar spider) lives in his shower!
Steve is the author of three other Amazon children’s books illustrated by Siski Kalla: a kind of mystery story involving fairy houses called My Secret Fairy House Mission; Where Do The Crows Go?, about a boy and his grandmother; and ABC of Cats: A Rhyming Alphabet With Catitude!, a fun way to learn letters.
About the Illustrator
Siski Kalla is a furry dogmother (she has fostered more than 15 abandoned dogs), a fully qualified Observologist, and she holds the Beasties Book of World Records for rescuing snails, ladybirds and moths. She is also an award-winning children’s book illustrator and writer.
Siski says:
“I also love to make up stories! Some of them are only partly true, like those above (I don’t think there’s such a thing as the Beasties Book of World Records, but maybe there should be!). I have fostered more than 15 dogs, and I do spend a lot of my time observing, as well as rescuing any injured or lost animal that crosses my path. And I have won awards for my work! I’ve also illustrated more than 15 children’s books, including the best-selling Breathe by Becky Hemsley, I Don’t Like Birthday Parties by Maureen Gaspari, and two books – Goldie the Handpicked Flowergirl and Jack Brings the Rings – with renowned celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss. I’ve also written and illustrated several of my own books, too, including Gertie is Not ALL Dogs (Clavis Publishing); and Let’s Explore Snails: An urban wildlife explorers book, with more in the pipeline. I also LOVE to hear from readers, so please send me a message at siskikallaillustration.com.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored*, non-biased review of Where Do Spiders Come From? Learn more about getting a book review …
