Weaver and the Web

In the author’s note for Weaver and the Web, naturalist and award-winning author Chris Baker (On a Mushroom Day) shares that, after growing up with arachnophobia, having a child of their own served as inspiration to commit to “overcoming my phobia. I want her to see spiders as our incredible, talented kin rather than as horrifying monsters hiding under the bed.” Weaver and the Web is a poetically written, beautifully illustrated ode to our eight-legged friends that’s sure to guide young readers toward curiosity and admiration rather than trepidation. Page by page, readers can follow along as a spotted orbweaver named Weaver emerges from her “curled bed” (a rolled-up leaf) to undertake the quiet drama of her nightly ritual: Step by step, strand by strand, she will create a spectacular, symmetrical web under the starry night sky. As with human real estate, location is everything: “She took a different path from the way she had taken last night, as she had only caught gnats over there.” So, too, is Weaver’s meaningful connection to her work: “The web was so much more than nice to look at. It stretched her senses wide. Every tiny vibration chimed through it, calling her as clear as a bell.” It’s fascinating to learn how those vibrations let Weaver know when her next meal has arrived, via a resounding “thhhrump!” that signals “precisely where the hapless crane fly crash-landed.” Stunning artwork by Byron Eggenschwiler complements Baker’s narrative with soft grays and deep blacks that offer striking contrast to Weaver’s bright orange legs and the rainbow iridescence of her shimmering web. In an extra clever touch, readers must occasionally rotate the book to engage with vertically oriented spreads that will draw them even further into Weaver’s arachnid’s-eye view. This finely crafted, immersive tale answers the question of what happens outside after dark with creativity, reverence and wonder.