Product Description

A classic cautionary tale with a unique twist. 'Will you walk into my parlour, said the Spider to the Fly...' is one of the most recognised and quoted first lines in all of English verse. But how many of you know how the tale actually ends? Join celebrated artist Tony DiTerlizzi as he shines a 1920's film noir cinematic spotlight on Mary Howitt's 173 year old classic poem, warning us against those who would use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions and lure us into danger.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #577600 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-07
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .1 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 40 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-6-Most people are familiar with Howitt's poem, but DiTerlizzi's art raises this hackneyed classic to a new level. Rendered in black-and-white gouache and pencil, then reproduced in silver-and-black duotone, the paintings have a spooky quality perfectly suited to retelling this melancholy tale. Ms. Fly, with her whimsical flower umbrella and Roaring '20s attire, captures the flavor of an old-time Hollywood heroine. Her nemesis, seated on his Victorian chair, is dressed like a pasha in silk robe and slippers (six, of course) or resplendent in tails, top hat, and spats; he is clearly a dastardly fiend cloaked in splendid apparel to dazzle his victim. Wispy, transparent, ghostly shapes haunt the eerie mansion; the white print on the black pages stands out against the shadows creeping across each spread. All of these elements foreshadow the fly's untimely demise. With its tragic ending, heavy moralizing, and sophisticated artwork, this book will appeal to older children as well as to adult fans of old horror movies. This title is worth purchasing for its valuable artwork alone.
Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-5. There's no question about the villain in this version of Howitt's familiar 1829 poem about the vain, silly fly and the cunning spider who does her in. The smarmy visage of the spider leering at Miss Fly, who is sweetly attired in fringed flapper garb, says plenty. The melodrama is wonderful: Miss Fly--hand on forehead, hand on heart, two hands outstretched in protest (and two legs, of course, makes six)--declares, "Oh no, no . . . Kind sir, that cannot be. / I've heard what's in your pantry and I do not wish to see." Diaphanous ghosts of Spider's previous victims float nearby, but they're unable to change the fate of Miss Fly, who falls victim to Spider's flattery and her own pleasing reflection in a bottle-cap looking glass. Older children will be most likely to catch the intricacies in the monochromatic artwork--the various poses of the multiple appendages, the butterfly-wing curtains, and other delightfully creepy buggy details. Only a few will think past the story and wonder about the fact that most spiders are female. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Mary Botham Howitt was born in 1799 in Coleford, England. Originally published in 1829, Mary's best-known work 'The Spider and the Fly' has been enjoyed by generations of readers and has become an age old classical cautionary tale. Mary Howitt died in Rome in 1888. Tony DiTerlizzi's unique and unusal artstyle is the perfect complement to Howitt's classic tale. He lives with his wife in Brooklyn, New York.