Review by Jocelyne Gregory
Candlewick Press, 2020
160 Pages, Hardcover, $15.00 CAD, 9781536209204
Early Chapter Book, ages 6-9, grades 1-4
Fiction
“I used to be scared of spiders,” said Riley. “But now I pick them up in my bare hands.”
“For real?” asked Stink.
“For real. If I even saw a spider I’d scream my head off.”
“How did you get cured?” asked Stink.
“It took a while,” said Riley. “I did it in baby steps. First, I just thought about spiders…on purpose…a lot.”
“Done,” said Stink. “Spiders are about the only thing I can think about since I found Spiderzilla in my yard!”
Stink and the Hairy, Scary Spider written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds follows main character Stink as he spends the day crafting origami creatures with sticky notes, papers lying around, and even an American dollar bill into an origami frog. When Stink plays with the origami frog outside, he loses it in some tall grasses and instead discovers a giant, hairy spider! Fearful, Stink flees to the safety of his room. But while Stink may be afraid, his friend Webster Gomez reveals the spider might be someone’s missing pet and says they need to find it before something happens to it. In order to search for the arachnid, Stink needs to overcome his fear with the help of his friends, a lot of interesting spider facts (like what they taste like, and that their blood is blue) and some creative origami art.
Reynolds’ art style transforms spiders into adorable and approachable creatures—a helpful skill when dealing with a subject like arachnophobia. There are several mini-comics that provide a break from the main text, and Stink’s drawn family and friends help bring the story to life. Reynolds’ infographics about various types of spiders like twig spiders, to bird-dung spiders and ogre-faced spiders are both entertaining and insightful.
Stink and the Hairy, Scary Spider is a great tool to help readers with their arachnophobia as it provides a how-to guide to ease readers’ fear and learn about the eight-legged creatures. Stink and the Hairy, Scary Spider is a helpful educational tool for teaching as well. Fans of spider-centric stories like Charlotte’s Web, Spiderman, or non-fiction books like Elise Gravel’s The Spider: The Disgusting Critter Series would enjoy Stink and the Hairy, Scary, Spider.
Jocelyne Gregory is a published author and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, and a creative writing certificate from Simon Fraser University The Writer’s Studio. She lives on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Canada. She can be found at https://jgregoryauthor.wordpress.com/
YOUNG ADULTING 