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10th out of 179 books
—
110 voters
Spider and the Fly
by
Mary Howitt,
Tony DiTerlizzi (Goodreads Author)
"'Will you walk into my parlor,' said the Spider to the Fly..."
is easily one of the most recognized and quoted first lines in all of English verse. But do you have any idea how the age-old tale of the Spider and the Fly ends? Join celebrated artist Tony DiTerlizzi as he -- drawing inspiration from one of his loves, the classic Hollywood horror movies of the 1920s and 1930s...more
is easily one of the most recognized and quoted first lines in all of English verse. But do you have any idea how the age-old tale of the Spider and the Fly ends? Join celebrated artist Tony DiTerlizzi as he -- drawing inspiration from one of his loves, the classic Hollywood horror movies of the 1920s and 1930s...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
October 1st 2002
by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
(first published January 1st 1829)
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Mar 07, 2012
oliviasbooks
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to oliviasbooks by:
Esther
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair. And I have many curious things to show you when you are there.
I still have to meet a librarian who can visit a foreign country without making at least a super quick dash into the second-hand bookshops or local libraries he or she comes across. I believe for most of us digging through shelves stuffed with never-seen-before titles or editions is an urge as compulsive as picking flowers in the forest is for Little Red Riding Hood.
Last week my colleague...more
I still have to meet a librarian who can visit a foreign country without making at least a super quick dash into the second-hand bookshops or local libraries he or she comes across. I believe for most of us digging through shelves stuffed with never-seen-before titles or editions is an urge as compulsive as picking flowers in the forest is for Little Red Riding Hood.
Last week my colleague...more
“The Spider and the Fly” is a beatifully haunting tale based on a poem by Mary Howitt and with gloomy illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi. The story won a Caldecott Honor Award and is about how a creepy Vincent Price look-alike spider tries to entice an innocent looking female fly to come to his parlor and the book also explains the consequences of falling for the flattering words of strangers who are a threat to you. “The Spider and the Fly” is a great story that the whole family will enjoy, altho...more
10 likes · like · see review
“The Spider and the Fly” is a wonderful story based on the poem by Mary Howitt. Tony DiTerlizzi captures the look and feel of a creepy black and white movie in his wonderful illustrations. I especially love the beautiful fly which makes the spider look that much more menacing. I think small children would defiantly have trouble with the premise and illustrations of this story. “The Spider and the Fly” carries a strong message on the dangers of strangers and what can occur in a brilliantly haunti...more
5 likes · like · see review
This is an amazing book! The illustrations are fabulous!!! Oh, yes, they are creepy. Oh, yes, the story is one that will give you chills if you really think about it. But, it is meant to be a cautionary tale, in the spirit of the unsanitized versions of "Little Red Riding Hood" or "Hansel and Gretel"--beware those who compliment you and offer you treats, for they may have evil designs on you! It is totally icky and horrible and I wish we did not live in a world like that, but, well, kids, don't...more
10 likes · like · see review
This book was not my cup of tea. I don’t like spiders, flies, or horror stories. The (award winning) illustrations were too creepy, scary, ghoulish for my taste. This one could have given me nightmares if I’d had it read to me as a small child, but some children are much less sensitive. The poem by itself is ok and fine for kids. I guess I just disagree with most others about this book. Most seem to think highly of it. I definitely recommend it being screened before reading it to very young chil...more
5 likes · like · see review
This is the 10th anniversary edition of Mary Howitt’s classic 1829 poem. Complete with ‘spine tingling illustrations’ by Tony Diterlizzi. I am overjoyed to have this beautiful piece of literature on my book shelf and I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to share it with a group of children.
From the very front cover it is clear we are entering a sinister and spooky story. The illustration features a hideous, cad of a spider with long legs spanning the expanse of his web, and in the...more
From the very front cover it is clear we are entering a sinister and spooky story. The illustration features a hideous, cad of a spider with long legs spanning the expanse of his web, and in the...more
Citation: The Spider and the Fly, by Mary Howitt, illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2002). 40 p. Traditional Picture Book.
Summary: DiTerlizzi illustrates this traditional poem in black-and-white, with a 1920s horror movie theme. The meek fly is portrayed as an innocent girl flapper, while the spider is characterized by a seedy, unctuous tempter, drawing the fly in with his flattery and smooth-talking.
Critique: a) Since this poem has been published for...more
Summary: DiTerlizzi illustrates this traditional poem in black-and-white, with a 1920s horror movie theme. The meek fly is portrayed as an innocent girl flapper, while the spider is characterized by a seedy, unctuous tempter, drawing the fly in with his flattery and smooth-talking.
Critique: a) Since this poem has been published for...more
The Spider and the Fly
1- Genre: Other, Fantasy Picture book
2- This is the story of a crafty spider trying to entice a fly into his parlor, but the fly knows the fact that no one makes it out of the spider’s parlor alive. The persistent spider does not give up when told no by the fly. He continues to pursue the fly by inviting her back to dinner. This story teaches the lesson of the consequences faced by falling for flattering words of strangers that do not have your best interest at heart.
3- (a)...more
1- Genre: Other, Fantasy Picture book
2- This is the story of a crafty spider trying to entice a fly into his parlor, but the fly knows the fact that no one makes it out of the spider’s parlor alive. The persistent spider does not give up when told no by the fly. He continues to pursue the fly by inviting her back to dinner. This story teaches the lesson of the consequences faced by falling for flattering words of strangers that do not have your best interest at heart.
3- (a)...more
Ths black and white illustration book had an interesting feel to it for me. The facial expression of the characters, the intricate detail within the pages and full pages illustrations were a wonderful aspect of this book however for young children I feel as though this book may be too spooky and scary to read to a younger audience. In one illustration the spider sits resplendent in his Victorian chair, his legs propped up upon a stool made from a dead lady bug. The charming Spider and the Fly ha...more
This Caldecott Honor picture book is an excellent example of perfect harmony between the style of the text and the illustrations. The plot is simple and one that Kindergarteners and up will be able to understand; a hungry spider who is trying to trick a fly into his "parlor" by enticing her with his flattering words. The text follows an identifiable rhyme scheme with extensive dialogue between the spider and the fly, where the dialogue alternates between the spider and the fly from one page to t...more
This is a picture book of the classic poem by Mary Howitt. (And it's in the public domain, so if you're curious about the content of this book you can google for it.)
Fair warning to people with very young or sensitive children: This IS the poem that starts off "Will you come into my parlor..." and it ends exactly the way you'd expect a meeting between a spider and a fly to end. If you think you'll have a problem with this, please hit the back button NOW and find another book more suited for you...more
Fair warning to people with very young or sensitive children: This IS the poem that starts off "Will you come into my parlor..." and it ends exactly the way you'd expect a meeting between a spider and a fly to end. If you think you'll have a problem with this, please hit the back button NOW and find another book more suited for you...more
Summary: Tony Diterlizzi put a spin on Mary Howitt’s classic 1829 cautionary poem about a predator, the spider, and its prey, the fly. A twist that can be compare to the work of Tim Burton. In the story, the spider is willing to do whatever it takes to get the lovely fly to rest upon his web. The fly is not fooled by the spider’s tricks at first until the end.
Written and Illustrated by: Tony Diterlizzi
Audience: K-2nd
Genre: Classics, Fables, Folk Tales and Myths, and Poetry and Rhymes
Themes: cha...more
Written and Illustrated by: Tony Diterlizzi
Audience: K-2nd
Genre: Classics, Fables, Folk Tales and Myths, and Poetry and Rhymes
Themes: cha...more
With its shadowy illustrations and unique text colored only in black and white, this story takes on a dark and scary feeling immediately. The story begins with the spider’s poetic invitation to the beautiful fly, asking her to follow him into his home. The book continues with a dialogue between the spider and the fly. On one page, the spider speaks. On the next, the fly replies. The back-and-forth exchange between the spider and the fly was made clearer by the way that the conversation moved bac...more
I was a ghoulish little kid and had this poem memorized at an early age. I used to make myself shudder thinking of the sticky spider web and the husks of the drained bugs. But not even my imagination could envision the creepy illustrations of Tony Diterlizzi.
There is not one speck of color in this book. Not one. There is white, off-white, grey, black, not so black, and truly black.
The Fly is an angelic-faced flapper who catches the eye of the Spider in front of his (doll) house. While the Spide...more
There is not one speck of color in this book. Not one. There is white, off-white, grey, black, not so black, and truly black.
The Fly is an angelic-faced flapper who catches the eye of the Spider in front of his (doll) house. While the Spide...more
I am so pleased that Tony DiTerlizzi chose to breathe new life into the classic Mary Howitt poem. I love adore his style and it’s perfectly suited for this endeavor. He’s chosen a sort of 1920s era Hollywood backdrop where the action plays out like an old silent film - or perhaps you might imagine that the appealing little fly is a fresh faced starlet and the spider is a big studio boss. Fitting with this ‘theme’ the illustrations are entirely in black and white, but rather than being drab they...more
4 likes · like · see review
This is a beautiful, skin-crawling take on a lost classic poem, illustrated in the style of a black-and-white silent movie. But it's way darker than you would expect a kids' book to be. I mean, how do you think a friendship between a spider and a fly is going to end? And it's a friendship that carries some bizarre connotations, with the fly a damsel-in-distress insisting to the charming gentleman spider that she will not get in his bed. Yeah. Try feeling comfortable reading that to a class of fi...more
This is one of my favorite children's books. I bring it with my every time I substitute teach at an elementary school. The students love it's spooky black and while illustrations. The story is about a spider who tries to lure a fly into his liar with flattery. Even though she knows better she gets sucked in anyway. The illustrations are so clever. They are by one of the author's of The Spiderwick Chronicles. I see something new every time I read it. For instance, the spider lives in a mansion bu...more
I LOVE this book! I borrowed it from the local public library and just a few pages in, knew it was one I’d have to add to my personal collection. The pairing of Mary Howitt’s 1820 cautionary poem with the brilliantly crafted “silent movie era” artwork of Tony DiTerlizzi results in a package perfect for exposing school age children to classic literature. The poem’s moral – to be weary of strangers, no matter how charming – further offers a subtle introduction to critical lessons regarding persona...more
Apr 13, 2010
Katie
added it
Genre: poetry
Number of pages: 40
Grade level/age: 4-8years
Theme: spiders
Summary: A sweet talking spider invites an unsuspecting fly to dine with him. Against her better judgement, she reluctantly joins him for dinner...she being the main course.
Personal Response:
I love how Tony DiTerlizzi captured the essence of Mary Howitt's original work. This book is also uniquely illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. There are so many directions you can take a this story for a lesson. It could be a caution...more
Number of pages: 40
Grade level/age: 4-8years
Theme: spiders
Summary: A sweet talking spider invites an unsuspecting fly to dine with him. Against her better judgement, she reluctantly joins him for dinner...she being the main course.
Personal Response:
I love how Tony DiTerlizzi captured the essence of Mary Howitt's original work. This book is also uniquely illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. There are so many directions you can take a this story for a lesson. It could be a caution...more
The Spider and the Fly is a fantastic picture book, "Based on the cautionary tale by Mary Howitt". The book is done entirely in black and white and gives the feeling of watching an old horror movie. The story involves a spider who is only concerned with catching his prey--in this instance it being a lovely naive fly. The spider spends much of the book trying to trick the fly into coming into his web, however the fly is aware of many of his tricks.
The images are very detailed and allow the reade...more
The images are very detailed and allow the reade...more
I recently came across this book, and I was intrigued. I have, of course, heard the tale of the spider and the fly before but I was much younger and I only remembered it vaguely. It is not a particularly happy book. Instead, it is a tale of woe. It features a poor little fly who very literately gets wooed into a spider’s web through flattering words and malicious lies. It is however a classic tale that teaches people to beware of those who flatter them. It would actually be a very good idea to m...more
The Spider and the Fly is based on a poem by Mary Howitt and was illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. This book depicts the story of a naive fly who is being lured into a trap by a cunning spider. While the story is very dark, it is a way to explain the food chain to children. DiTerlizzi's images play an integral role in the telling of the poem. He is able to captivate readers and explain the poem in a way that is very easy to understand. The black and white images that cover the pages of this book a...more
This is a children's book that offers a very old poem by Mary Howitt and new illustrations by Tony DiTerlizzi. This particular poem is a cautionary tale of the malintentions of others. This very simple and basic, yet well-written, poem warns young children that not everyone they meet has their best interest in mind. This little fly seems quite aware of the conniving spider and avoids his every word. In the end, the spider convinces the fly of coming to his house due to his flattery. I was surpri...more
1 like · like · see review
This book is very interesting. I am not sure if I loved it. I am not big for spiders or any insects so I was not a big fan. I can usually handle spiders alone or even informational books about them, but this book was creepy. It is in a poetic verse that is very easy to read and rolls off the tongue. It has very dark and gloomy pages that make for a great Halloween themed book. The plot is quite different. It is almost a haunted book. It is about a spider who tires his very best to entice an attr...more
When I was a kid my siblings and I would gather in the living room every Christmas Eve to listen to my dad read the Christmas story from the Bible, The Night Before Christmas, and then follow it up with poem requests. My oldest sister always picked "The Highwayman", my younger sister always picked "Little Boy Blue" and I always picked "The Spider and the Fly". I have always loved this poem and I'm sure part of that was related to the inflection in my dad's voice has he read it aloud.
Some other...more
Some other...more
I remember my mom reading this book to me when I was in about first or second grade and thinking to myself.. "Why does the spider want the fly to come in? Nobody even likes flies! And why did the fly want to go into a spider's house anyway?" I didn't understand the actual metaphor Mary Howitt was trying to portray when she used a spider and a fly until much later (maybe about 3rd grade). When I fully got the concept of predator and prey I understood how there are some people in the world who are...more
Single Poem: This book is a great illustrated version of the classic poem by Howitt. The author wrote the poem, about a persistent spider trying to catch a fly, in language not familiar to the typical elementary student. The illustrations, however, bring the words from a long ago century, to life for today’s reader. As I carefully examined each illustration, I was surprised to find extensive details in the drawings, including household items created from previous insects caught in the spider’s w...more
OK, I totally dig this book for probably all the wrong reasons. 1. The art is great- black and white. If you like Tim Burton, this should work for you. 2. The story rhymes, which is just more fun to read if you ask me. (I didn't read the history in the back of the book, maybe it rhymes because it was originally a poem. That would make sense.) And 3. I can totally do great voices for the two characters. I'm not sure where I channeled the spider's deep suave voice from, but I love reading DS this...more
Oh my! This book was absolutely awesome! This was a book that was featured on the "Halloween Table" @ B&N, but it really is a book that can be read all year round. The Spider & The Fly is an excellent cautionary tale of the damage that flattery can do to an unsuspecting person. I think this a a great book to read when discussing how a person can be a "sayer" of lovely words and have horrible actions behind them. The illustration are absolutely breath-taking. Even though they are in black...more
Not often do I give out 5 star ratings, but Tony DiTerlizzi's beyond amazing illustrations in this book are so utterly fantastic that I'd give this book more than 5 stars if I could!
I wasn't familiar with this poem before I read this book. I came across the book in the library while looking for books for my classroom. When I saw the great cover art, I checked it out immediately so I could read it. And I was not let down! With a cover like that, I was expecting awesomeness and boy did I get it!
I...more
I wasn't familiar with this poem before I read this book. I came across the book in the library while looking for books for my classroom. When I saw the great cover art, I checked it out immediately so I could read it. And I was not let down! With a cover like that, I was expecting awesomeness and boy did I get it!
I...more
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| RDG 334 Childrens...: Poetry (: | 2 | 9 | Sep 13, 2011 08:28am |
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“Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly”
—
11 people liked it
“And now dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.”
—
4 people liked it
More quotes…
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed:
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.”
May 31, 2012 09:33pm
Jun 01, 2012 04:39am
You're welcome Olivia! :D
Jun 11, 2012 02:06pm