Welcome to the Storytime at Home Series! Once a month, we highlight a kid-approved theme with book lists, songs and rhymes, and a simple craft you can try at home. All books are available in our collection, and the crafts use easy-to-find items you likely already have on hand.
P.S. Love library storytime? Check out all of RPL’s storytime options here; there’s a program for your child almost every morning at our branches!
The theme this month is: Spiders! Spiders may seem a little spooky, but they are some of nature’s most valuable creatures. From spinning intricate webs to helping keep pesky insects, like mosquitos, under control, spiders are amazing builders, problem-solvers, and important environmental helpers. Explore the wonderful world of spiders with stories, songs, and a craft with Richmond Public Library.
Reading to your kiddos turns them into confident thinkers. Making books a regular part of your daily routine is a great way to build children’s love of reading and learning. Storytimes also help build excitement around reading to support their literacy development.
Here are a few book options you can choose from to jump into from our collection:
You’re My Busy Little Spider by Eric Carle.
From Eric Carle’s beloved The Very Busy Spider comes this adorable board book, perfect for the busy little reader in your life.
For ages 0 – 2.
Itsy Bitsy Spider: Touch and Trace Nursery Rhymes by Emily Bannister.
Including the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, this interactive board book includes five classic finger plays for little ones to trace, follow along with, and enjoy.
For ages 0 – 3.
Backyard Bugs by Jill McDonald-Gomez.
Jill McDonald brings everyday bugs-including spiders-to life in this engaging board book. Filled with colorful illustrations and fun facts, it is perfect for your budding insect scientist.
For ages 0 – 3.
The Eensy-Weensy Spider by Mary Ann Hoberman.
Join Eensy-Weensy as he embarks on exciting adventures sliding down the waterspout! Filled with rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, this charming board book is perfect for reading aloud with your little one.
For ages 1 – 3.
Bear wants to keep his house clean and is determined to find the spider leaving messy webs everywhere! This board book-sized version of Jacob Grant’s Bear Scare is the perfect adaptation for babies and toddlers.
For ages 0 – 3.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle.
An Eric Carle classic, this story’s repetition is perfect for engaging little readers. Throughout the day, many animals stop by to visit the very busy spider, but she is too focused on making her web to join them.
For ages 1 – 5.
Walter’s Wonderful Web by Tim Hopgood.
Walter wants to build the perfect web! To make it happen, he must test out which shape works best for his design. Practice early math skills like shape recognition and problem solving with this adorable picture book.
For ages 2 – 4.
The Amazing Spider-Man by John Romita.
This adorable baby and toddler version of the classic comic follows Peter Parker as he is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Man! Perfect for little superhero fans, this board book introduces young readers to the origin story of everyone’s favorite web-slinging hero.
For ages 2 – 5.
The Amicus Book of Bugs by Isobel Lundie.
Another book exploring the bugs found in your neighborhood, this collage-illustrated board book introduces toddlers to a wide variety of insects and other fascinating crawling creatures!
For ages 2 – 5.
Aarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks.
A lonely spider decides she wants to become a family’s pet. Like the cat tax, but for arachnids. Unfortunately, her adopted family doesn’t quite share her enthusiasm, until she unknowingly wins them over.
For ages 2 – 6.
Spider-Man, Spider-Man! by Shane Clester.
Swing through New York City with Spider-Man in this book adaptation of the classic Spider-Man theme song. Young readers will love following their friendly neighborhood superhero as he sings, swings, and slings webs across the city.
For ages 2 – 4.
Itsy Bitsy Spider by Jane Cabrera.
In Jane Cabera’s delightful retelling of this classical nursery rhyme, the Itsy Bitsy Spider’s waterspout transforms into a water slide when the rain begins to fall. This playful twist makes it a perfect read-aloud for toddler story time!
For ages 3 – 6.
Itzy is determined to prove he is a big kid on the first day of spidergarten, but a cast of mischievous nursery rhyme characters keep getting in his way! This charming and humorous story makes for a fun read aloud that is perfect for toddlers.
For ages 3 – 6.
Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin.
An amusing diary from a spider’s perspective, this hilarious story follows adventures in making friends with flies, learning to spin webs, and avoiding the dreaded vacuum cleaner. Filled with humor and charm, it’s sure to leave both you and your preschooler laughing.
For ages 3 – 7.
Weaver and the Web by Chris Baker.
Follow an orb weaver spider as she spins her intricate web and works to catch her next meal in this pleasant and informative picture book. Young readers will enjoy discovering the fascinating world of spiders through this engaging story.
For ages 4 -6.
Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan.
This Sibert Honor-winning nonfiction picture book follows a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider. With well-researched details and charming watercolor illustrations, this engaging book invites young readers to discover and appreciate the fascinating spiders living all around them.
For ages 4 -6.
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti by Gerald McDermott.
Do any other millennials remember discovering this book through Reading Rainbow as kids? This classic Ashanti folk tale follows Anansi, the Spider, as he embarks on a dangerous journey, relaying on the help of his sons along the way. The unique shape-based illustration is still captivating to look at, making this timeless story an engaging read for new generations.
For ages 4 -6.
Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan.
The wishing well has stopped granting wishes! When a young newsboy investigates, he discovers a clever spider who has been stealing the wishes and gold coins. Filled with hilarious moments and captivating illustrations, delightful picture book is sure to become a storytime favorite.
For ages 4 – 8.
Luigi, The Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten by Michelle Knudsen.
Luigi the spider thinks he has found the perfect dark corner to hide in, that is until a lady finds him and mistakes him for a kitten! This warm and adorable story celebrates being loved for exactly who you are and reminds young readers that everyone has something special to share.
For ages 4 – 8.
Explore the fascinating world of spiders with this engaging nonfiction picture book. Spiders is perfect for curious young readers who want to learn about spider behaviors, habitats, and species through age-appropriate facts and illustrations.
For ages 4 – 7.
- Point at the pictures and ask your child what they see. Help build their vocabulary by pointing to pictures and saying the word aloud.
- Ask your child questions about the story: What do you think will happen next? How do you think this character is feeling? This character is wearing a bathing suit; do you remember when we wore ours?
- Read with expression and enthusiasm and use different voices for different characters.
- Act out what’s happening in the story.
- As your child gets older, count objects in a book, discuss the different colors they see, point out shapes in the story, etc.
- Snuggle up and be patient. Reading is great bonding time for you and your child. Take your time walking them through the story. If your child wants to turn the page or be finished with reading, that’s OK too. You don’t have to read every word or even every page for reading with your little one to be beneficial for their development.
- Check out The Basics for more helpful tips to encourage reading at home!
The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.
This classic nursery rhyme is a favorite for a reason! With countless versions of available, The Itsy-Bitsy Spider is a wonderful way to introduce early literacy skills through singing, movement, and play. Below are some tips and tricks to help enhance your child’s learning while enjoying this timeless song together.
Lyrics:
The Itsy-Bitsy Spider went up the water spout.
Down came the rain, and washed the spider out.
Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain.
And the Itsy-Bitsy Spider, went up the spout again.
There are many ways to incorporate this rhyme into one-on-one play with your child. For young babies, gently trace or tickle their tummy as the spider makes its journey, ending with kisses. You can also try the finger play version while your baby is enjoying tummy time.
For babies who can sit up independently, bounce them gently on your knee while singing the song, raising your baby up as the spider climbs the spout, and down as the rain falls. This interactive movement helps build language skills.
For toddlers, and older kids, try out Miss Pam’s Baby Wordplay – a podcast for babies‘ version of The Itsy-Bitsy Spider in baby sign language (you can skip ahead to the :42 second mark). This is a fun way to combine music, movement, and other early literacy skills.
I Have a Little Spider.
Just like the song above, this rhyme can be adapted for children in different developmental stages. Pretend your fingers are spider legs and follow the lyrics:
Lyrics.
I have a little spider,
I’m very fond of her.
She crawls up my shoulder,
and right up to my chin.
She jumps up to my nose,
and then on to my head.
And when she’s very sleepy, she runs back down to bed. Night, night!
For babies, use this song to help them learn body parts by gently tickling your baby with your “spider fingers” and softly tapping their chin, nose, and head. Add a little extra fun by pretending to fall asleep after saying, “Night, night”!
For toddlers, Sing the song slowly while demonstrating the movements. Encourage them to pretend to go to sleep and wake up, just like in the song Hop Little Bunnies. This interactive play helps build listening skills and body awareness.
For Preschoolers, demonstrate the song and then challenge them to see how fast they sing and move along. Slow the song down during the final verse to regulate. You can also incorporate this rhyme into a bedtime routine by replacing the tickles with kisses- or letting your child to be the one to give the tickles!
The Spider in the Web
This song is a great way to talk about bugs!
Lyrics.
To the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”
The spider in the web (hold your palm open like a high-five and place your other pointer finger in the middle of your palm),
the spider in the web.
Spin, spin, oh watch it spin (Spin your hands around, like the song, Wheels on the Bus),
The Spider in the web.
The spider eats a (bug name) (make up a fun finger play to represent your bug),
The spider eats a (bug name).
Spin, spin, oh watch him spin (repeat circular hand movements),
The spider in the web.
Help build your child’s fine motor skills with this paper roll stamped spiders craft from The Craft-at-Home Family
Image retrieved from: thecraftathomefamily.com
That’s a wrap for Storytime at Home this month! Check us out next month for more learning and fun!
