The Splendid Spotted Snake

by Betty Ann Schwartz, Alex Wilensky

It’s a marvel! Every time you turn the page the little snake grows bigger. And it’s a book that teaches with every page his spots change color. Amazing! But how does it work???

Using a unique Magic Ribbon format invented by the authors, The Splendid Spotted Snake follows the adventures of a little spotted snake made out of sturdy, polka-dotted cloth ribbon.

When Yellow Snake was born,
he had bright red spots.
But then he grew . . .
His new spots were blue .

Not only does the little snake double in size, his spots also change color!

Red to blue to purple to orange and more, it’s an enchanting lesson in learning colors. And for little kids and parents alike, a true page-turner—because with every turn of the page the little snake grows and changes.

And look for a wonderful, gratifying surprise ending.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Animals, Fiction

16 pages, Board Book

First published September 29, 2011

Reviews

[Harlyn Rengel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book

[Brandi Kutz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute book! We have it in our storytime collection and for good reason. It is a pop-out book, but it uses magic ribbons that grow until the last page. My toddlers in storytime LOVE this book.

[Maude P. Ragsdale Hiram Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids will love to turn the pages and watch the ribbons move!

[The Campbell Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids loved the ribbon aspect of this book.

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for Lunar New Year Storytime in 2025 - The Year of the Snake. Would also be a great one for a snake-theme Storytime

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published at www.apatchworkofbooks.com

What a fun book! Telling the simple story of a snake with different colored spots could not possibly be more exciting than with this magic ribbon technique. I've never seen anything else with an interactive element quite like this before, each page pulling a different portion of ribbon through slots in the pages, and kids are going to get the biggest kick out of it!

The snake grows bigger and more colorful with each page turn and the book is made of heavy duty pages and ribbon, ensuring its ability to last for more than a few reads (which all of you librarians and booksellers will appreciate). The ending is quite clever and a bit of a surprise, making for a nice read aloud as well.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book with my kindergarten students to introduce the idea of being different. I especially like it because it addresses changes that come with growing up. The simple text compliments the bright illustrations beautifully, allowing the deceptively simple art to speak for itself. The students got a really big kick out the growing snake and the different colors. The ending was a nice surprise as well. I definitely plan to use this book again in the future (not least of all because I get a kick out of the growing snake also).

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple story about a snake that keeps growing and growing and growing. Each time the snake grows he gains a new color of spots thanks to the magic ribbon technology. Text includes rhyming and alliteration. This would be a great book to share with babies and toddlers, especially, but is sure to be enjoyed by preschoolers and their families too.

[Justin Guardiani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it's the simplest of stories that bring out the most in kids. This book is a great example of that idea. Interactive, Clever and Bright. In the past few days I have sat down and read this book a few dozen times and my son's smile never wavers.

A must read and a must include in any child's bookshelf.

[Christina Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 2-year-old loves this book! The snake actually lengthens by a ribbon page-by-page. The only con is that even though it is a board book, the ribbon makes the pages easy to tear. Of course, we borrowed this from the library, so it gets a lot of use and that may be why it was torn when we picked it up.

[Laura Schrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a toddler yoiu need this book. Got this a the library and then had to order on Amazon. It is just terrific. The little snake actually grows and as he does his sopts change color and a new ribbon appears. It is terrific.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book and the children seem to really like guessing which spots the snake would grow next. The only issue I had with it is the ribbon can get caught and the pages can bend and tear with repeated use.

[Amy]

We have read this book countless times...the growing snake never gets old! For my full review: http://sunlitpages.blogspot.com/2013/...

And for preschool ideas: http://sunlitpages.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Succinct and charming! Children will adore the growing snake.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This simple book kept the attention of my two and three-year-old storytime friends today. A snake keeps growing and adding more polka dot colors to his body.

[Corianna]

'Splendid Spotted Snake'...through a series of fluidity in motion; a combination of movement, change, growth and an array of colors...all gets blended when this little story finally ended :)

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book. Spotted snake grows and grows, and adds ribbon of color to his body. In the end, the colors all blend together. Good meaning there... Ribbon/board book...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for the ribbon idea. I've never seen that before.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! Very interactive and a great way to teach colors. CJ loved it.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very much enjoyed as a read aloud to children -a visual feast for the eyes with snakes and colors.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time you turn a page, the "magic" ribbon snake grows and gains more spots. Introduces colors.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite storytime books!