Description
Come and meet Mirabelle, Orson, Clay, AJ and Marley in this charming collection of stories about the adventures of five very different friends! Cobweb Capers is perfect for children who find spiders a little scary, or as a way to inspire an interest in these fascinating animals.
There are fun spider-themed activities to be found inside, aimed at encouraging a liking for these commonly feared creatures which are essential to our ecosystem. Whichever is your favourite, these tiny spiders with huge personalities are sure to capture your little one’s imagination!
Cobweb Capers is aimed at children age 4-7 years and was written by Dr Jane McGee who, as a teacher of psychology, understands the value of familiarity in helping overcome fears. Jane was inspired to write the stories after taking a group of her students to a spider phobia workshop. She observed how acquainting the students with the spiders dramatically impacted their feelings towards them. Jane hopes that Cobweb Capers will allow children to have a greater familiarity and liking of spiders.
30% of net sales from the book will go to Buglife, the only organisation in Europe devoted to invertebrate conservation.
Rupamanjari Majumder –
This is a book to make arachnophobes and spider-haters think again. It is strange how the concept of insect prejudice is instilled in the minds of children at a very early age. Ladybirds and butterflies are cute, slugs are ugly and spiders are creepy. Why this is so, we don’t know, but we keep up the tradition and teach our children the same. Here the author has tried to show a different perspective; one that is more refreshing and doesn’t
unnecessarily victimize innocent creatures (who seem to have lives and adventures of their own!) Cobweb Capers is a great collection of short stories, written in easy, flowing language and illustrated with simple, filled line drawings. It’s not a regular bedtime book, but one you’ll definitely want to pack for a road trip with the family.
Patty –
What a great idea. A book to help children get over their fear of spiders. Kids will love reading about the adventures of the spider characters.
authormicrophone –
Delightful children’s book!
This book is a very interesting and delightful collection of short stories that center around five spider friends trying out various activities. The illustrations are simple yet capture the spirits of the spiders, who each have different personalities. Also, all of the stories have valuable lessons to convey to children, such as “cheaters never win” or “there’s no place like home”. Finally, the activities at the back of the book were an added bonus; they were absolutely excellent! It was a pleasure to read, and I’m sure it will appeal to its targeted age group.
Turtle Sea Books –
Cobweb Capers is a wonderful series of stories that highlight a normally unpopular creature as loveable and kind. Each spider is well defined and has something of value to contribute to the story and to the other spiders, which is engaging for young readers. Also, the artwork is simply wonderful. Highly recommended!
ISURU –
I animated this book trailer. I like to change the perception of the people. Those spiders can’t speak . So we have to tell children creatively they are really nice . Cobweb Capers & Jane is doing great service to the society by creating this book. I wish her all the best!!!. I love to make spiders more friendly to the children’s with animation.
Mary Louise Simmons Simmons –
A delightful and caring book. It shows children, the feelings even spiders can have and give them compassion, for all of God’s creatures. Great illustrations!
Veronica Stanley-Hooper, Teacher –
This book!!!! I read this book with my homeschool class as a lesson warm up for several sessions. Such great stories with foundational concepts of diversity, acceptance, pride, and warmth. The characters are identifiable–which sparked so many conversations with my students. Lovely illustrations enhance each story. A classroom favorite for sure!!!!
Gin –
What a sweet book! To be honest, I HATE spiders 🕷! However, I found this book adorable, and I like how it teaches children about spiders in a fun way. The children won’t even realize they are learning something new because the information is inside such an engaging, fun story!
Edward Trayer –
A WISHING SHELF BOOK REVIEW
25th July 2021
TITLE: Cobweb Capers
AUTHOR: Jane E McGee
ILLUSTRATOR: Marisa Lewis
Star Rating: 4.5
‘A cleverly plotted set of shorts full of fun, spidery characters. Perfect for 6 to 8 year olds, particularly if they happen to be scared of spiders!’ The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
This set of shorts by Jane E McGee follows the ups and downs of five very different spiders all living in Mr Lee’s garden shed. Now, I’m not a big fan of spiders myself, but I must say this is an amazingly sweet book. There’s so much to enjoy in this illustrated story, from the sweetly drawn characters to the exciting plots the author’s conjured up for then.
In terms of the writing style, it’s very much spot on. There’s a good flow to it, the vocabulary is rich and diverse – but never too difficult for the age group – and the author knows how to strike a balance between speech and descriptive prose. Admittedly, I did spot the odd grammatical error, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.
All in all, this is a fabulous little book that I think most young children would very much enjoy. And, of course, if you happen to be the parent or grandparent of a child who’s particularly frightened of spiders, they might be a little less frightened after reading this. In fact, I would think any parent who is looking for a lightly written, fun-filled book for children aged 6 – 8 would find this fits the bill perfectly.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
http://www.thewsa.co.uk
Madison –
Amazingly cute book! My toddler cannot read, but the stories are still so entertaining with great illustrations to keep her attention. She has now been asking more questions about spiders!