Itsy Bitsy Spider

Urgency Emergency

by Dosh Archer

The Best Children's Books of the Year 2014, Bank Street College

A spider arrives at City Hospital with some strange head injuries. How did this happen? And does it have anything to do with all the water rushing down the water spout? Early readers have never been such fun! With bright color illustrations on every page, minimal easy-to-read text and a brilliantly fast-paced plot, this animal hospital adventure story will have young readers devouring the pages.

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Nursery Rhymes, Animals, Childrens, Cats, Medical

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sara Bland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great children's book about going to the hospital. Poor Itsy Bitsy gets himself hurt pretty badly and has to go get stitches. The wonderful doctors and nurses at the hospital fix him all up-pain free. Along with the great plot, the characters are all from common children's stories. Little Miss Muppet makes an appearance alongside the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and even the big bad wolf! This is a great book for students pre-k through 1st grade, but truly for any child who needs to calm his or her nerves about going to the doctor.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another title in the “Urgency Emergency!” series. It features nursery rhyme characters Miss Muffet and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Miss Muffet brings Itsy to the City Hospital ER. Poor Itsy has fallen down the waterspout and hurt her head. Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy must put stitches in Itsy’s head wound. They carefully explain the process as they go along. They decide that Itsy needs looking after once she’s released. Since she has no one to care for her, Dr. Glenda suggests Miss Muffet put aside her fear of spiders and care for Itsy. Miss Muffet agrees and tells Itsy that she probably doesn’t have flies for her to eat, but she does have curds and whey on hand. And all ends well. Children familiar with the nursery rhymes will no doubt pick up on the quotes and references to them in this likable tale. The cartoon-style illustrations capture the humor of the story and speak to each character’s personality; they also clearly show what’s involved in getting stitches, a plus for young readers who may be curious or frightened of hospitals. The title is a good choice for reading aloud and will appeal to preschoolers and beginning readers, although some may need help with the vocabulary. This series is a good choice for school libraries and for teachers who do fairytale and nursery rhyme units. The idea of putting two unlikely characters in another setting is clever and can be a springboard for enrichment or other ELAR activities.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters from two beloved nursery rhymes meet in this amusing story. Miss Muffet brings a bedraggled spider named Itsy Bitsy to Doctor Glenda and Nurse Percy. After examining her, the doctor stitches up her head wound while Nurse Percy provides comfort. Despite her fear of spiders, Miss Muffet agrees to take care of Itsy Bitsy until she recovers. Young readers are sure to enjoy this combined version of the familiar stories and the fact that the story ends with the reassurance that the nimble spider will be back to her old self soon and explore a waterspout or two. The softly-colored illustrations and tiny humorous touches such as the Pengamedics who bring in the ailing spider add to the book's fun.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my preschooler sister. This book is a funny book with many different nursery rhymes in it all put together. The funniest part was that one of the king's men was in the hospital because Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall onto his foot. I liked it.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd Urgency Emergency! book we've read--the first one, which we heard at library storytime, involved a choking (Big, Bad) Wolf. This one has a spider who has suffered a serious head injury. I would consider this series in the category of "won't work for everyone"--it's kind of an odd mélange of explaining the way hospitals work and mixing up fairy tale characters--but I happen to find them quite funny, and my kids seem to enjoy them, too. One interesting quality with both of the ones we've read before is that something that is mentioned or happens at the beginning--but does not seem essential to the story--comes back to be important near the end. I think these would also be fun for those who are not quite reading chapter books but pretty fluently reading on their own.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A clever early reader series both introducing a child to an emergency room situation with playful friendly illustrations and incorporating a nursery rhyme character that's been a part of the child's literacy probably since their earliest memories. My child was pleased when he identified the itsy bitsy spider nursery rhyme references throughout. Though not our favorite, definitely cute. Good for both boys and girls.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I'm a ER doc and a super sucker for books that allow me to share my job with my kid. This is a sweet 'fractured fairytale'-type easy reader about the itsy bitsy spider's head injury, subsequent evaluation and stitches in the ED and discharge home with Miss Muffett. My daughter has had a few too many ED visits this year and appreciated how 'real' the description of the events in the ED were, I appreciated the gentle humor and the presence of a female physician.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preschool Story time plan is easy with this book. doing a few nursery rhymes to connect kids to this story. Then singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider for old times sake before reading this book. Very funny despite the emergency room visit. Probably finish with Curious George or Madeline hospital visit and a craft of putting a band-aid on a booboo.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun new (to the US - author is from the UK, first published there in 2009) easy reader series with a fairy tale twist. Miss Muffet overcomes her fear of spiders to help Itsy Bitsy after a fall off a water spout. At the ER, Itsy is bandaged, stitched, and cared for, and by the time they leave, the sun has come out and dried up all the rain.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another tale in the spin on the fairy tales set in the emergency room at the hospital with this time the title character being the main event with the spin on the old rhyme about the drain pipe. Anyway reasonable fun here for youngsters who know the original tale, as I think the vast majority would do.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another funny fractured nursery rhyme for beginning readers. This time the Itsy Bitsy Spider is rescued from the water spout. After his head is stitched up, Little Miss Muffet offers to care for him until he is better despite her fear of spiders.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore this series! There is so much to like! Just enough whimsy blended with accurate information about human health. My kindergarten students loved it.

The only thing I didn't like in this one was the "pengamedics" pun. I stumbled over it every time.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horn Book starred review Jan-Feb 2014.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this installment of the fractured fairy tale series, Little Miss Muffet brings an injured spider to the emergency room.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

More useful medical info than Big Bad Wolf story offers.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emergency room meets nursery rhyme meets humor. Sounds wacky but it works!

[Raegan Rocco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny and cute little book! Loved how different nursery rhyme characters brought in to play....sweet.

[Pam Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute fractured fairy tale with the itsy bitsy spider and Miss Muffet. Sure to elicit giggles from younger children.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series for younger grades - twists on fairy tales/nursery tales.

[Holly Letson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute retelling that contains elements of both *Itsy Bitsy Spider* and *Little Miss Muffet*. It proves that everything will end well when everyone works together as a team.

[Diana Pettis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beginning reader. Realistic characters.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about Little Miss Muffet finding Itsy Bitsy Spider, who is injured from falling down the waterspout. A good twist on a classic tale.

[Aj Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itsy Bitsy spider is not my favorite rhyme...but this book made it awesome! There is nothing like seeing a spider get stitches to make you like spiders just a little bit.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Miss Muffet (a cat) calls the ambulance when the Itsy Bitsy Spider is injured trying to climb up the waterspout - when the rain "whooshes" down, she is knocked down the waterspout and gets a cut that needs stitches. Young readers can see that stitches are helpful, that Itsy Bitsy gets a special injection to keep the pain away, and a special bandage to keep it clean and dry. Plus, Little Miss Muffet overcomes her arachnophobia to help take care of Itsy Bitsy when she is released from the hospital. A nice story about overcoming fears, especially of the hospital, ambulances, and emergency situations that might require stitches.

[Jitendra Kotai · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting series for little kids. The doctor and the nurse are quite brilliantly written. My kids had a great laugh when the sun came out and dried up all the rain exactly like it had happened in their nursery rhyme.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cute series! The author creates a fun beginning reader with a classic nursery rhyme. This one is based on the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Great read aloud for early elementary. Start by reading the rhyme and then this story. Can't wait to see the others in the series.

[Cheryl A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like this series, but I would have been happier if Dr. Glenda had a small assistant for the tiny critters. And, given a spider's exoskeleton, stitches would not actually have been the treatment, anyway, I bet. But I did like that Miss Muffet decided to be brave, to face her fear of spiders.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the creativity of this author! Basing the story on fairy tales, the author took those plots and crafted a realistic hospital ER situation!

[Michelle Farella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lower level 3, lots of pictures, longer sentences, more of a plot.

[Liz Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable