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Did you know that when a spider's web is damaged, a spider will often eat the remaining silk before making a new one? Young children will make many amazing discoveries about spiders in the captivating Backyard Books: Are You a Spider? by Judy Allen with illustrations by Tudor Humphries.

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

4 people are currently reading
115 people want to read

About the author

Judy Allen

119 books24 followers
Judy Allen is an award-winning author whose novel Awaiting Developments was short-listed for the Whitbread Children's Novel Award.

Judy Allen, along with illustrator Tudor Humphries, created Kingfisher's award-winning Backyard Books series and many other successful books, including the Reading Rainbow selections Tiger and Seal.

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5 stars
38 (35%)
4 stars
44 (41%)
3 stars
19 (17%)
2 stars
5 (4%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Brittany.
55 reviews
April 18, 2010
This is a great book for science and for teaching about spiders. It talks about how spiders build their web and use it to catch food and it also includes a lot of interesting facts about spiders. The great thing about this book is it is written in a language that is easy to understand and is pretty short in length but at the same time is very informational and kid-friendly.
Profile Image for Colorado Buck.
1,210 reviews
March 11, 2019
did not like it as much as i thought i would. very factual, lots of information about spiders, not very scary, would not use for storytime at all. weird font.
14 reviews
April 13, 2025
Always ordering the Are You A... books by Judy and Tudor through the library interloan. My young children always enjoy them.
Profile Image for Autumn.
2,366 reviews47 followers
April 15, 2015
Are you a Spider? Pretty much is a book about a spider. If you looked like one you would look like this, if your mother laid her eggs she would do this. We learn how if you were a spider what you would do and where you would hide when a predator came for you. At the end we learn that if you looked like a series of people which it shows girls and boys then you are not a spider but a human child. This is a cute little book, something that makes a kid thing about if they were a spider. This is a fun read that I think kids will enjoy. At the end there is a Did you Know section and it tells you a bit about spiders.
34 reviews
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May 9, 2014
This book is about spiders. The author wrote this book for 5-8 year olds, so it would be great in lower elementary classroom. The book takes the perspective of a spider and tells a story, but the content is true and informational, making it an informational book. I chose this book because it is a chance for students to learn information, while enjoying a story and illustrations. Additionally, it is suitable for kindergarteners. This book could be used to teach students about various bugs and insects.
Profile Image for Amy.
57 reviews2 followers
August 11, 2013
My daughter and I picked up this book from the library because she wanted to learn about spiders. Of all of the books we selected, this was the only spider book that hit the mark. All of the others were above her head or (at three years old) didn't hold her attention. This book was fun and entertaining. This is a great series for young children to learn and have fun while doing so! Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Katie Nanney.
164 reviews26 followers
April 1, 2015
This book is a good picture book if you want to learn more about spiders. It's simple enough for younger children to understand about spiders on a basic level. It would make a good read-aloud book and younger children would like the pictures. The pictures were very detailed and colorful and I enjoyed them a lot.
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book671 followers
October 18, 2011
This is a fun book about spiders that explains their characteristics and helps children to understand how animals differ in nature. The illustrations are terrific and we enjoyed reading this book together.
Profile Image for Zayneea.
262 reviews9 followers
October 28, 2014
Lovely book with beautiful illustrations teaching children all about spiders. Usually would not pick up a non-fiction book about spiders, but the pictures in this are cute not scary.
Profile Image for Vicki.
4,956 reviews32 followers
October 27, 2015
This is one awesome book for sharing facts about spiders with children. It's spot on with text and illustrations. An oldy but goody!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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