by Reading Roundup: Books About Spiders
October 30, 2013 in Teaching by Anna
I rounded up ten books about spiders. Even those with arachnophobia might be able to enjoy these. Children often enjoy learning about creepy, crawly things, so even if you shudder at the thought of a spider, reading these books to your kids may do no harm. If spiders aren’t your thing, you may enjoy reading books about Halloween, pumpkins, or The U. S. Constitution instead.
If you’d like to make a simple spooky spider instead you might like this post.
This list contains affiliate links. The first five books are mostly on the informative side and the last five books are more on the entertaining side. Enjoy!
Ten Books About Spiders
This is a very informative book that covers just about anything you would want to know about spiders, including their habitats, prey, predators, types of webs, and abilities. It compares insects with spiders and utilizes child-friendly language as much as possible.
Sneaky, Spinning Baby Spiders by Sandra Markle
This is another informative book with beautiful photographs to accompany the text. Readers can learn about spiderlings, the differences between spiders and insects, the abilities of spiders, and the roles of female and male spiders. She informs readers about various types of spiders and how they build and possibly protect their egg sacs and/or spiderlings. It’s amazing how many different spiders she discusses. This book also contains a spider map and a short glossary.
What’s it like to be…a SPIDER? by Jinny Johnson and Illustrated by Desiderio Sanzi
A Garden Spider shares what it’s like to be a spider throughout this book. Very quickly readers can learn about silk, webs, prey, mating, spiderlings, and ballooning. At the back of the book, there is a Q&A page with common spider questions answered. There is also a short glossary of highlighted terms from the spider’s story.
Even if you don’t feel like reading about spiders, the photographs in this book are worth a visit behind the cover. They are amazing! If you feel like reading, you will learn about the location of various spiders, the body of a spider, how a spider uses its senses and silk, builds webs or traps, catches and kills prey, mates, and what can happen when spiderlings hatch from an egg sac.
Tell Me Why, Tell Me How…How Do Spiders Make Webs? by Melissa Stewart
This book has great photographs and starts by explaining what an arachnid is and how it’s different from an insect. It goes on about a spider’s ability to make silk and spin webs, then why spiders need webs and the different types of webs various spiders make. It briefly discusses why ground spiders don’t have webs and how they catch their prey as well. There is a short glossary at the back of the book and an observation and photography activity page for readers to try.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider, As Told and Illustrated by Iza Trapani
I don’t believe you can talk to young children about spiders without singing this popular nursery rhyme. This book contains a few more verses and sheet music on the last page.
The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks Out! Written and Illustrated by Troy Cummings
In this clever spin-off of the nursery rhyme, Eensy Weensy Spider freaks out after falling down the waterspout and refuses to climb again. After hiding in the garden when this news hits the web, Polly, her ladybug friend pays her a visit. Polly convinces her to put one leg above another until all eight legs are carrying her higher and higher…to the point that Polly can’t keep up. Will Eensy Weensy fall again or find the view of a lifetime?
Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin and Pictures by Harry Bliss
Readers can take a look inside Spider’s diary. He shares about his grandfather, safety drills at school, a day at the park, and more. It’s a humourous tale of a spider, who’s similar to any boy…trying to find his way through life with family, his best friend Fly, and even frightful Daddy Longlegs. It’s an interesting take on the life of a spider.
The Spider and the Fly, Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, Based on the cautionary tale by Mary Howitt
Spider isn’t the first to use kind words to lure someone in for unkind purposes, but that’s exactly what Spider is trying when he flatters Fly, convincing her to come closer and let down her guard. Will she fall for his trap or read between his beautiful lines?
Little Miss Spider by David Kirk
Little Miss Spider hatches from the egg sac and immediately begins looking for her mother. Betty, a beetle, even helps her search. None of the creatures they encounter can help and one even tried to trick Little Miss Spider. Will she ever find a home with a mother that loves her?
Do you have a favorite book about spiders?
