Overview
The modern classic about a sweet spider and her friends is now available for the first time in a Scholastic Bookshelf paperback version"Miss Spider can't understand why insects flee in panic at her approach. Being a florivore herself, she only wants to invite them over for cakes and tea. The ironic air wafting through Kirk's rhymed tale will not be lost on young readers, and the insects in the big, brightly colored illustrations beear comically apprehensive expressions as they hastily depart . . . At last, Miss Spider is able to convince a rain-soaked moth of her good intentions . . . A sweet tale" --School Library Journal
When lonely Miss Spider tries to host a tea party, the other bugs refuse to come for fear of being eaten!
Synopsis
"One lonely spider wished to play.
Two beetles cried and ran away."
Three fireflies, four bees, five rubber bugs, and more insects reject Miss Spider, leaving her with ten cups of tea and a broken heart. But when Miss Spider comes to the rescue of a rain-soaked moth, everyone joins Miss Spider's party!
This easy-to-read adaptation of the bestselling picture book is sure to delight!
Publishers Weekly
What's a sociable spider to do when no one will accept her invitations to tea? Seemingly unaware of her own predatory reputation, the eponymous arachnid is perplexed and saddened when a parade of potential guests scuttles, scampers and scurries away ``in mortal dread.'' A timely rainstorm provides the perfect opportunity for Miss Spider to prove her good intentions, however, as she lovingly nurtures a rain-soaked moth with sweets and warm brew. Good news travels quickly, and before long her web is abuzz with a full-scale tea party. ``Her friends were glad to watch her feast / Upon the floral centerpiece. / It was a great relief to see / She ate just flowers and drank just tea.'' First-time author Kirk's rhyming text, with its singsong rhythm and counting motif (two beetles are followed by three fireflies, then four bumblebees, etc.), is slack and predictable, but his illustrations are thoroughly original. The stylized paintings are flecked with a shimmery light that accentuates the bold, often garish, juxtaposition of colors and increases the whimsy of the appropriately bug-eyed cast. All ages. (Apr.)