Itsy Bitsy, the Smart Spider - Hardcover

PreSchool-Grade 2--A clever and amusing twist on the familiar rhyme. Itsy is creeping up the waterspout when it starts to pour, and, naturally, she gets soaked as she is washed to the ground. " 'Yikes,' said the spider./ 'I've got to use my brain/And figure out a way/To not get wet again.'" She crawls to the corner store, hoping to trade a dead fly for a cover to keep her dry. When the clerk, a dog, turns her down, Itsy offers another suggestion: "I can catch your fleas and/Help you with the store." A deal is struck and the spider earns enough money for a brightly striped umbrella. Harper uses the first two lines of the traditional nursery rhyme and then switches to her own words, keeping the meter consistent throughout. The acrylic-and-pencil illustrations are quirky, and the backgrounds, as well as the characters, are decorated with small geometric patterns that give depth to the artwork. Itsy has big buggy eyes, full red lips, and a little purse with polka dots. This book will make a fun read-aloud for children familiar with the original verse.--Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.