While my favorite Lucy Ruth Cummins title will always be A Hungry Lion, there was certainly a good deal of sweetness in her previous collaboration with Reidy, Truman, and the two return to the apartment building and a new character - Sylvie the spider.
Sylvie, a small gray spider, lives on a rusty fire escape. It's not the best place, but it's safe and Sylvie knows things don't go well for spiders who draw attention to themselves. Plus, from the fire escape she can watch the people who live in her building and make sure that their lives are going along "just so." But lately things haven't been going so well and Sylvie starts thinking about what would happen if she left the safety of her home and took action. Despite her legitimate fears and worries, with a little inspiration, she makes herself noticed and finds herself unexpectedly welcomed into a newly created band of friends who most certainly do appreciate a little spider who draws attention to herself.
Sylvie is a smiling gray ball with cute legs and the tiny miniatures of her world will intrigue children who like mini creations. The story is charming with a delightful conglomeration of words like scampered, audacious, magnanimous, and more.
Verdict: Pair with The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures for a storytime on the value and importance of small creatures or with Teague's Red Hat for a storytime on bringing disparate friends together. It will appeal most to older preschoolers and those who can sit still for a more reflective storytime and are willing to entertain the idea that not all bugs and/or spiders should be smashed on sight.
ISBN: 9781534463486; Published May 2022 by Atheneum; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library
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