be nice to spiders

I’m a naturalist at heart and, together with my children, enjoy collecting fascinating nature finds. We have many shoe boxes filled with spider and snake sheds, various insect and crustacean carcasses, arrowheads and rock fossils, and an array of bird nests. Last year I found a dragonfly (just deceased) while visiting Philadelphia and carried the insect with me throughout the day so I could add it to the collection. Spiders rank high on my list of favorite creatures. And so does the resourceful spider in BE NICE TO SPIDERS by Margaret Bloy Graham (Harper, 1967). Graham is most famous for her HARRY THE DIRTY DOG books and for good reason. While not as popular as the HARRY books, BE NICE TO SPIDERS showcases Graham’s talents as a storyteller and artist. This is really a tale of never under-estimating the underdog. In this case, the spider who spins webs to trap the many flies that are driving the zoo animals crazy. It’s a charming tale that touches on conservation. One of my favorites from childhood!