Official Review: Spiders Dance by M Carroll

[MsTri]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Spiders Dance" by M Carroll.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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As a human with two left feet, I was intrigued by the story, Spiders Dance. In this short tale by M. Carroll, Spider wants to be a dancer, but he doesn't know how to dance! His brothers are no help, only telling him that he “will have to find rhythm and balance.” Not knowing how to find it, Spider starts off on his quest, hoping to find someone who can teach him how to dance.

I felt really bad for Spider, as I too have suffered from the inability to dance. Even though one can be taught specific dance steps, having rhythm comes naturally and really isn't something that can be taught. In his journey, Spider meets a number of animals, and they all try to teach him how to dance, but they ultimately fail. Is there anyone who can teach Spider to dance, or is he doomed to stand by the sidelines while everyone else has fun? You'll have to read this tale to find out.

While I'm no fan of spiders, I still enjoyed this tale. It was great fun seeing Spider visit all the other animals and attempt to dance in the same ways that they could. Aside from certain children's movies, I'd never considered animals dancing before. The story itself follows the basic 'introduction, problem, resolution' format and is very easy to follow. The book also repeats certain aspects of the story, so the young reader somewhat knows what to expect each time Spider visits a different animal.

The illustrations in Spiders Dance aren't quite as cartoonish as in some books for young people, but they're still very nice. Not liking arachnids, I maybe would have preferred a less realistic spider, but that's my own personal bias. The scenery was very well done, though, and I actually felt like I was in the jungle with Spider and the other creatures. In addition to the colorful pictures that cover most of the pages, there are a few black-and-white drawings of children. These pictures are accompanied by a call to action on the reader's part and are a nice change of pace. The font used is also attractive and easy to read.

I don't think there were really any lessons to be learned in this book, and that's okay; sometimes it's nice for children to read purely for enjoyment and entertainment.

There is an issue with punctuation, mostly errors with comma usage. I would strongly urge the author to give the story another editing pass, as it's essential that children read error-free books.

Due to the number of repeated errors in punctuation, I cannot give Spiders Dance 4 stars. I will instead give this tale a resounding 3 out of 4 stars. I also recommend this book for preschool to early elementary-level readers, as well as any reader who has two left feet and would like to commiserate with a little fuzzy creature who has eight left feet.

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Spiders Dance
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Like MsTri's review? Post a comment saying so!

[bookowlie]

Great review! I had to laugh when you said you would prefer a less realistic-looking spider. I don't care for insects either, so I like them to look cute in children's books - basically, I want them to look less like insects. It's too bad about the errors.

[kandscreeley]

I think I agree with you and bookowlie. I'd want a very cute looking spider. The less realistic the better. Still, it seems like a really cute story. I don't think I've heard of a spider looking for someone to teach him to dance! Thanks.

[shelidizel]

Awesome review. I know someone who would like this

[Hildah Mose]

Wow! Such a great review. That's the kind of story I'd love to read to my kid. Hope he'll get to correct the spelling mistakes and typos.

[Manang Muyang]

You really tickled me with this review, MsTri! You are getting to be one of my favorite reviewers for children's books! "Eight left feet!" will always make me feel good. LOL!

[Vickie Noel]

You really tickled me with this review, MsTri! You are getting to be one of my favorite reviewers for children's books! "Eight left feet!" will always make me feel good. LOL!

I was going to say the same thing, Miriam! Eight left feet? Spider sure is in for a big challenge! Thanks for the sweet review, MsTri!

[Sahani Nimandra]

Sounds kinda cute story where you can enjoy a certain laughter inside you!
Good book!

[MsTri]

Thanks for commenting, everyone! I really do think youngsters will get a kick out of this one!

@Miriam Molina, thank you SO much; I try really hard to make my reviews entertaining as well as informative.

[vnod adhikari]

Love books that encourage our little ones to get the Wiggles out. This is a darling. A great story with wonderful illustrations that incorporates with children's natural desire to be active.

[pinklover]

wow, nice review. I found out that you wrote a fun review. As I read it, I imagine some spider dancing hiphop. Well, I enjoyed your review.