Review of Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy

[Runan]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy" by J. M. Ashmore.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Minor inconveniences can sometimes get us worked up and make us explode like a bomb. Frustration only worsens the situation. If we readjust our focus to positive things, we can find solutions to our problems. We know what it means to be happy and tell others to be glad, but when things don’t work out in our favor, we forget to put what we preach into practice. A friend is all we need to help us calm down and readjust our focus on positive, joyful things. Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy by J. M. Ashmore reminds us about what it means to be happy and glad.

Spiker and his best friend Crispin Cricket learn a new word called ‘Joy’ one day. They wonder if they could be joyful every day or find things that could bring happiness to them both. Both of them were having a playful time jumping and beating each other’s jumping record when a storm interrupted their fun time. The weather forces Spiker and Crispin to take shelter on a branch of a tree. This is a testing time for both of them. Will they choose to be happy or turn gloomy at the sudden turn of events?

J. M. Ashmore brilliantly imbued a lesson on happiness with a simple story. Children will learn through the characters of Spiker, Crispin, and Sully that helping others can lead to happiness too. The illustrations in this book are colorful and flow with the story. The author provides a questionnaire at the end, which helps in testing what we learned from the story. This is engaging and interactive, and I absolutely loved it. This questionnaire, along with the printed answers, helps children retain the lessons learned from this story.

This book does have a dose of educational elements in it. Facts about jumping spiders and crickets are fun to read and educational. Impeccable editing enhances the quality of this book. I could not find any errors. Personally, I enjoyed reading this book, and I feel there is absolutely nothing to hate about it. I give this book a well-deserved rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Children of all ages would enjoy this book. They will also learn about how acts of kindness, selflessness, and sharing can bring them happiness.

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Spiker the Jumping Spider Learns about Joy
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