Miss Spider's New Car

David Kirk's Miss Spider books are generally pretty good, and have appealed to all three of my kids. This one is less successful. Partly it is the subject matter--children, being generally oblivious to the stress and anxiety typically inherent in buying a new car, can't really connect to the storyline. Partly it is the verse itself, which often features muddled meter and awkward rhyme. And partly it is the protagonist's utter cluelessness as a consumer. The pictures, however, are pretty.

Miss Spider takes readers on the adventure of her and her husband, Holley, finding a new car. When Miss Spider receives an invitation to have tea by her mother's house, Holley insist that they buy a new car for the journey. The very first car that they come across is the car that MIss Spider falls in love with, but Holley insist that they should look around before picking the first one. They look at several different cars, even testing them out. However, Miss Spider still wants that very first car they saw. At the end, Holley surprises Miss Spider with the new car. Kirk shows readers to always go with their first choice/gut feeling on life decision.

I picked this book because I really like Miss Spider books. For this book, I would have students write a description of what their perfect car would look like.

This modern fantasy book is told in rhyme/song pattern. It tells the story of Miss Spider who goes on a crazy adventure through the bug buggy marketplace in search for their dream car.

Miss Spider receives an invitation from her mother to visit her to have tea. She decides to use a frog to cross the bog. Holley decides it might be risky due to predatory animals and states they should purchase a car. When she arrives at Bob Bumble's Buggies she finds the perfect car but is convinced by Holley not to purchase the first car she sees. They spend the day searching several other car lots but none of them speak to Miss Spider as much as the first car. Close to closing time she returns to Bob's only to find the car has been sold. She is sad and returns home to find a note from her mother. This invitation states that she would would like to take Miss Spider and Holley out shopping for a boat.

Miss Spider and her family go on an adventure to find a brand new car. However, in the end they find the perfect boat for the family. But what could happen to their perfect dream car?

20 months - Picked this one up at Goodwill for $1 and I really need to send it back there. I could never get into this book. I can't even always make out what the images are depicting. I know there are other Miss Spider books that people just rave about but I just can't see the appeal based on this title.