AnnMarie Martin

What an imaginative way to get across the message of being confident and true to yourself.

The Spinfords are a famous web spinning family that entertains insects far and wide. They have a baby, Salvatore, who will joint the act as he gets older. Salvatore is smart and creative and develops amazing skills weaving webs. When the day arrives for the big performance test to see if he is ready to join the family act, Grandpa Sebastian is the judge and jury. Salvatore creates an amazing web in record time, but it is not a typical web and his parents are distraught. They walk out and tell him he is not ready to join them. Salvatore is upset that his family does not understand his artistry and are not willing to be open to his creativity. Grandpa Sebastian, on the other hand, encourages him to stick to his beliefs and not give up. Can Salvatore get his family on his side? How will he get to perform with the family act?

This book could be read as a read aloud to young children by their parents, used in a classroom and even read independently by late primary students. Great illustrations with fun details. The only thing I did not like completely was the font. At times it was hard to read, but when I made the pages larger (ebook format) I was able to read it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)

Another story about someone with out-of-the-box thinking, this one doesn’t really break any new ground or offer any startling new insights. The illustrations are cute. The font choice could be a little tricky, and using reverse type (white on black) could be hard on the eyes for some.

Biggest quibble: It says Salvatore has to create a “one-dimensional” circular web. One dimension is a line. I believe the author means two-dimensional—height and length, or length and width if you prefer. Where was the editor on that one?

The message that not all art has to be representational is fine, but, again, nothing new.

This review also at http://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2016/05/more-picture-books-for-young-readers....

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.… (meer)