Review of Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy
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Tommy Mayengbam
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Review of Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy
[Following is a volunteer review of "Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy" by J. M. Ashmore.]
"Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy" by Janet Ashmore (J.M. Ashmore) is a delightful and educational children's book that offers valuable insights.
The story begins with Spiker, the jumping spider, and Crispin, the cricket, pondering the possibility of discovering daily sources of joy. Soon, a series of unforeseen events challenges their resilience in seeking happiness. Will they navigate this unpredictable journey successfully and discover daily moments of joy? I'll leave it for you to figure out.
I like this book for several reasons. To begin with, the narrative brilliantly illuminates the educational content, offering valuable insights into the distinct traits of various creatures featured in the book, such as jumping spiders and crickets. For instance, it unveils the dietary preferences of jumping spiders in stark contrast to crickets while also unraveling the fascinating mechanism behind crickets producing their distinctive chirping sounds.
The book concludes with numerous questions to assess the readers' understanding of its fundamental concepts. It also sprinkles fun facts about jumping spiders and crickets—the central characters. Can you believe that jumping spiders avoid humans due to their shyness, or did you know that crickets have ears below their knees rather than on their heads? These are a sneak peek into what you can expect within the pages.
The creatures skillfully turn their unique abilities that are absent in others into a collective advantage. By offering mutual support, they bridge gaps, allowing everyone to revel in shared experiences. In the narrative, each character initially grapples with a source of sadness. Yet, they swiftly uncover reasons to replace sorrow with joy and contentment. I admire the adept navigation of these creatures, extracting the positive from every challenging situation they encounter.
I appreciate the author's inclusion of diverse creatures instead of focusing on one species. Similar to how these creatures unite to help those in need, irrespective of their species, this book has the potential to instill in children the values of loving and caring for both people and animals alike. "Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy" teaches the importance of treating others with kindness and compassion, regardless of their wealth, appearance, or social status.
I love the book's overall tone, capturing the way children communicate. Its language is neither overly clever nor complex, making it perfect for young readers. As I delved into the pages, I could imagine five-year-olds engaging in roleplay, joyfully uttering the lines. The book is exceptionally well-edited, without a single error, and remains entirely free from profanity, fitting for a children's book. The illustrations are equally exceptional and add another layer of brilliance to the overall experience.
Overall, it is an outstanding book with numerous messages, and I dislike nothing about it. However, I suggest enhancing its visual appeal. Instead of the current cover featuring individual character images, how beautiful it would be to showcase all the characters playing together, radiating joy and warmth through their smiles. But this is purely my personal preference, and others may find the current cover satisfactory. Therefore, I'm giving it a perfect 5 out of 5.
This book caters to young children, aiming to instill values that promote mutual care and resilience in challenging times. While some readers might interpret the concluding verses as indicative of a Christian theme, I wouldn't categorize it as such. I encourage parents from all religious backgrounds to introduce this book to their children. Joy, like love, is a universal language, and religion shouldn't be a barrier to young readers accessing such a good book.
******
Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy" by Janet Ashmore (J.M. Ashmore) is a delightful and educational children's book that offers valuable insights.
The story begins with Spiker, the jumping spider, and Crispin, the cricket, pondering the possibility of discovering daily sources of joy. Soon, a series of unforeseen events challenges their resilience in seeking happiness. Will they navigate this unpredictable journey successfully and discover daily moments of joy? I'll leave it for you to figure out.
I like this book for several reasons. To begin with, the narrative brilliantly illuminates the educational content, offering valuable insights into the distinct traits of various creatures featured in the book, such as jumping spiders and crickets. For instance, it unveils the dietary preferences of jumping spiders in stark contrast to crickets while also unraveling the fascinating mechanism behind crickets producing their distinctive chirping sounds.
The book concludes with numerous questions to assess the readers' understanding of its fundamental concepts. It also sprinkles fun facts about jumping spiders and crickets—the central characters. Can you believe that jumping spiders avoid humans due to their shyness, or did you know that crickets have ears below their knees rather than on their heads? These are a sneak peek into what you can expect within the pages.
The creatures skillfully turn their unique abilities that are absent in others into a collective advantage. By offering mutual support, they bridge gaps, allowing everyone to revel in shared experiences. In the narrative, each character initially grapples with a source of sadness. Yet, they swiftly uncover reasons to replace sorrow with joy and contentment. I admire the adept navigation of these creatures, extracting the positive from every challenging situation they encounter.
I appreciate the author's inclusion of diverse creatures instead of focusing on one species. Similar to how these creatures unite to help those in need, irrespective of their species, this book has the potential to instill in children the values of loving and caring for both people and animals alike. "Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy" teaches the importance of treating others with kindness and compassion, regardless of their wealth, appearance, or social status.
I love the book's overall tone, capturing the way children communicate. Its language is neither overly clever nor complex, making it perfect for young readers. As I delved into the pages, I could imagine five-year-olds engaging in roleplay, joyfully uttering the lines. The book is exceptionally well-edited, without a single error, and remains entirely free from profanity, fitting for a children's book. The illustrations are equally exceptional and add another layer of brilliance to the overall experience.
Overall, it is an outstanding book with numerous messages, and I dislike nothing about it. However, I suggest enhancing its visual appeal. Instead of the current cover featuring individual character images, how beautiful it would be to showcase all the characters playing together, radiating joy and warmth through their smiles. But this is purely my personal preference, and others may find the current cover satisfactory. Therefore, I'm giving it a perfect 5 out of 5.
This book caters to young children, aiming to instill values that promote mutual care and resilience in challenging times. While some readers might interpret the concluding verses as indicative of a Christian theme, I wouldn't categorize it as such. I encourage parents from all religious backgrounds to introduce this book to their children. Joy, like love, is a universal language, and religion shouldn't be a barrier to young readers accessing such a good book.
******
Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Shot Not Heard Around the World by Charlie damitz
