Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Seasons come and go, and two unlikely friends help the garden prosper.In a quiet corner, a shy spider listens, tucked in a comfy leaf. Leaves rustle in the wind, the garden tap drip, drip, drips, and high in a tree the owl family hoots ("Twit-twoo"). This is Little Spider's life day after day. One morning, she hears "Hurry, scurry, worry-worry," and the sound keeps her from falling asleep. It's Anxious Ant, rushing around to finish preparations for winter. Tolland gives readers a glimpse underground, where Ant is collecting piles of seeds. "Hurry, scurry, worry-worry," is its refrain. Little Spider worries that there won't be any seeds aboveground in the spring, but Anxious Ant says he's too busy to think about that. Winter is coming! Little Spider offers a trade; she will spin a warm, silky scarf for Anxious Ant in exchange for five seeds. Their friendship is forged. In the spring, with help from sunshine and rain, the seeds sprout into delicate seedlings that, in time, grow into juicy fruit. In the autumn, the unpicked fruit falls to the ground and bursts open, revealing more seeds! Anxious Ant is amazed. He learns not to hoard the seeds but save only a few. That's all he needs. McKinnon's ecologically minded tale unfolds with a gentleness that's in perfect harmony with her lesson. Tolland's beautiful illustrations do not anthropomorphize her characters but invest them with personality nonetheless; Little Spider's garden is indeed a lovely one. Sublime. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Seasons come and go, and two unlikely friends help the garden prosper.In a quiet corner, a shy spider listens, tucked in a comfy leaf. Leaves rustle in the wind, the garden tap drip, drip, drips, and high in a tree the owl family hoots ("Twit-twoo"). This is Little Spider's life day after day. One morning, she hears "Hurry, scurry, worry-worry," and the sound keeps her from falling asleep. It's Anxious Ant, rushing around to finish preparations for winter. Tolland gives readers a glimpse underground, where Ant is collecting piles of seeds. "Hurry, scurry, worry-worry," is its refrain. Little Spider worries that there won't be any seeds aboveground in the spring, but Anxious Ant says he's too busy to think about that. Winter is coming! Little Spider offers a trade; she will spin a warm, silky scarf for Anxious Ant in exchange for five seeds. Their friendship is forged. In the spring, with help from sunshine and rain, the seeds sprout into delicate seedlings that, in time, grow into juicy fruit. In the autumn, the unpicked fruit falls to the ground and bursts open, revealing more seeds! Anxious Ant is amazed. He learns not to hoard the seeds but save only a few. That's all he needs. McKinnon's ecologically minded tale unfolds with a gentleness that's in perfect harmony with her lesson. Tolland's beautiful illustrations do not anthropomorphize her characters but invest them with personality nonetheless; Little Spider's garden is indeed a lovely one. Sublime. (Picture book. 5-8)

School Library Journal (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

K-Gr 2 Gentle Spider lives in a garden in harmony with nature. But her quiet life is disrupted by Anxious Ant noisily hoarding away seeds for the coming winter. Worried that the garden will be stripped bare, Spider encourages Ant to leave some seeds for planting in the spring. After the cold winter, Spider shows Ant that with the help of sunshine and rain, a few seeds will magically sprout into a plentiful crop of corn. Ant then realizes that, rather than hoarding only for himself, he can plan for the future and ensure a bountiful garden. Watercolor illustrations in garden tones of green, brown and yellow help tell a fanciful ecological tale for young students of nature. Along with a tender story of renewal and friendship, children will learn of the ongoing life cycle of plant life and the benefits of not being greedy. VERDICT A gentle tale of friendship combined with information on the life cycle of plants. Useful for teaching environmental lessons to early elementary schoolers. Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY