Review of George, the spider and the diamond

[Brendan Donaghy]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "George, the spider and the diamond" by Neil Ellis Sprason.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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George, the Spider and the Diamond is by Neil Ellis Sprason. George is a young boy whose favourite toys are his set of model cars. He loves playing with them at the foot of the stairs, using the patterns in the carpet as his imaginary roads. One day, he notices that he has been joined in his daily game of cars by a cheeky spider which has climbed into the back of George’s toy truck. At first, George is slightly nervous about the spider’s presence and asks his dad for advice, but his father and mother are too busy hunting for a small diamond that has dropped out of a necklace. As each day passes, George becomes more relaxed about allowing the spider to join in his game. Will the two become friends? Will George’s parents find their diamond?

This is a book that has been written as a bedtime story for very young children or for older kids ready to tackle a book on their own. It is twenty-three pages long. It has a soft covering which is colourfully illustrated, front and back. On the inside pages, the illustrations are monochrome.

Young children will quickly warm to this story. Like all good children’s books, it’s easy to follow. This is achieved by the repetition of the main features of the tale (the way George lines up his cars, the routes he traces along the carpet, the regular appearance of the cheeky spider, etc) which are easily understood by young minds. The story also provides two or three valuable lessons for kids to think about.

One concern I had while reading was that the author’s choice of vocabulary is too advanced in some places. Words and phrases such as ‘canopy’ (p7), ‘essentially harmless’ (p8), ‘concentrating’ (p9) and ‘resigned to the possibility’ (p18) aren’t an issue if the story is being read out, as the adult doing the reading can replace them with more age-appropriate expressions. Children reading the book themselves, however, may stumble over these examples and others like them.

This is a well-designed, exceptionally well-edited book; I didn’t find a single error. I am awarding it four out of five stars, deducting one star for the occasional use of words inappropriate for the target audience. I recommend this book to adults looking for a bedtime story to read to young children. If your child is at the stage of reading independently, this is still a good choice, although you may be called to explain the meaning of some of the more difficult words.

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George, the spider and the diamond
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[Patty Allread]

Your observation about some of the vocabulary is astute! I agree those words and phrases would have to be defined for young children.

[Monica Omonigho Bennymoore]

Awww.... I love the review you have given for this book. It warms me up about my childhood and certainly will love to buy it for my kids. I appreciate the face that the parents were too busy for George. Wrong as it may seem, it prepared George as an independent personality. I agree with your actions in deducting a star from 5 as inappropriate dictions is not a strategic for a bedtime story.

[Kemzy5]

I can't wait to have kids and read books like this to them. What a lovely review I have learned to pay attention to my kids in the future.