Picture Book Review – The Spider and the Fly – Based on the original poem by Mary Howitt & Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – The Spider and the Fly – Based on the original poem by Mary Howitt & Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator)

Recommender for - Toddlers, Younger Readers

Now for something a bit darker. Based on the cautionary tale by Mary Howitt, The Spider and the Fly tells off a fly who is lured into the trap of a spider through his charming words, and ends up being the spiders’ meal. It’s not the sort of ending that you’d expect from a children’s picture book, but then it’s always great to have something a little different, particularly that you can use to discuss with your children afterwards – be wary of strangers asking you to go with them.

The illustrations are macabre, in a black, grey & white style, but work wonderfully for the tone of the story. A lot of the text is on pages that are similar to how silent films used to present dialogue, and it’s a lovely touch. It really enhances the feel of the text, making the story darker than it would be if you just read the original poem.

Not everyone will want their children reading something darker, but I look forward to giving my son a range of things to read, and being able to discuss them with him afterwards, so if you’re not adverse to something a little macabre, give this one a go.

8/10