Rosie the Tarantula: A True Adventure in Chicago’s Field Museum

by Peggy Macnamara, Macnamara Katie

Chicago’s famed Field Museum of Natural History is home to a collection of thirty million geological and biological specimens that enchant and dazzle two million visitors of all ages each year. Based on a true story, Rosie the A True Adventure in Chicago’s Field Museum is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Field’s treasures through the eyes of Rosie, a member of the museum’s live arachnid collection.

Several years ago, Rosie went on an expedition to the wonders of the Field’s soaring halls, such as Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as the secret specimens of animal fossils and human artifacts hidden away in drawers, cabinets, and bins. Renowned Field Museum artist-in-residence Peggy Macnamara brings the marvels of the museum to vivid life in a set of gorgeous and meticulously accurate watercolors. Peggy’s daughter Katie narrates the story of this restless arachnid in rhyme ideal for reading aloud to children.

A keepsake quality book that will delight budding young scientists and their families, Rosie the Tarantula provides a colorful, interactive experience with one of Chicago’s foremost cultural institutions. This one-of-a-kind book is rounded out by fascinating notes for adult readers, and other fun features for further reading.

Genres: Picture Books

48 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2017

Reviews

[Schizanthus Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read this book twice so far and I’m still not sure what to say about it. While I can certainly appreciate the story, artwork and the interesting facts at the end, it’s not the sort of book I’d choose to purchase for a child unless I already knew they had a fascination for spiders or science, or if we’d been on a tour of Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History and they’d expressed an interest in it.

Without knowing the age group that Rosie the Tarantula is intended to reach it’s difficult to say whether it is appropriate or not but I would expect older children would be more interested.

The rhyming worked well but included words that younger children most likely wouldn’t be familiar with including bespattered and DDT. The facts at the end were very interesting but more so for an adult audience or an older child with an enquiring mind.

The watercolour illustrations were gorgeous but their soft colours aren’t what you usually see in books for younger children, which again leads me to believe this book is more appropriate for older children. I think adults will enjoy the detail in the illustrations more than their children, unless the child has been on a tour of the museum and can point out elements of the pictures they remember seeing during their visit.

While I can see this book selling well in the museum’s gift shop I’m not sure how it will be received outside of this setting. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Northwestern University Press for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.

[Richelle Zirkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows Rosie's adventures in a behind the scenes look at the Chicago Field Museum. For content, the target audience seems to be elementary school children. The illustrations are done in muted colors and very finely detailed. For those reasons, they are more likely to appeal to a slightly older audience as well. Overall, this is an interesting book with a great rhyme scheme for younger readers.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Rosie meanders around Chicago’s Field Museum readers get a glimpse of the exhibits and the work being done there. The watercolor illustrations alone make this one worthwhile.

[Susie Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and delightful read, great for both children and adults. It begins with a short illustrated story about a tarantula named Rosie who lives in a museum. The story shows how Rosie's day in the museum is like.
After the short story, there are tons of information about tarantula and spiders in general, which was something that average adults might find interesting. I know I did. Those were great scientific facts to learn.
Recommend to parents with pre-school children who're interested in science and biology, also adult readers who are interested in spiders and museums.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute picture book about a spider who lives at a museum. I most loved the water color photos. Another cool part is that at the end there is a glossary that explains some facts. This book would be good for a child who might like spiders, or even for a child who might be a little fearful of them to show them that they are not all that scary once you "get to know them" so to speak.

*Free copy provided by netgally*

[Cruse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for teaching about tarantulas. The vocabulary is so scientific and there's a section at the back of the book with notes for "precocious Arachnophiles". In this last section scientific explanations are given to explain in more depth the text of the book.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book of discovery where you got to learn more about Rosie and where she lives - in the very impressive Chicago Field Museum! I enjoyed the story but wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations personally but can see others loving them and it is purely personal preference. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads and Amazon.

[Lori Shriver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fact-filled story follows Rosie's the Tarantula as she explores the Chicago Field Museum. I must tell you I adore this book which assists children in having a deeper appreciation of nature. The rhyme is well versed and the illustrations throughout the adventure show processes and clarify concepts. I highly recommend this book. It is a treasure.

[Jess M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the perfect book for kids that enjoy exploring museums and science. I loved the writing and the flow of the book. You got to learn all about Tarantulas and also about different specimens in the Natural History Museum. This is definitely for older kids, as I think younger kids will not understand many of the references. I liked how we got to follow Rosie as she explore the museum and I throughly enjoyed the unique illustrations.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a mouthful of words. The story is about the pink footed tarantula Rosie at the Chicago field museum. One day in 2011 she escaped from her room. She didn’t appear until 2012. This book imagines the adventure she might have had. It is also used to describe what can be found at the field museum. Plus there are lots of notes at the end about the real rosie, and other animals mentioned in the book. I will say the rhymes are hard and do not flow well, but for this book I don't think it is needed. I applaud the author for getting the words to rhyme in the first place. And while this book is about a Chicago based institution, lots of kids will love its story and colorful illustrations.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosie the Tarantula: A True Adventure in Chicago’s Field Museum by Peggy Macnamara is a cute picture book. It is a story about a pink footed tarantula, Rosie, who lives at the Chicago field museum. One day in 2011 she escaped from her room. She didn’t appear until 2012. This book imagines the adventure she might have had. It is also used to describe what can be found at the field museum. Plus there are lots of notes at the end about the real rosie, and other animals mentioned in the book. I will say the rhymes are hard and do not flow well, but for this book I don't think it is needed. I applaud the author for getting the words to rhyme in the first place. And while this book is about a Chicago based institution, lots of kids will love its story and colorful illustrations.

I received an ARC from Northwestern University Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I give the book 4/5 stars.

[Ruth Frampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a story on so many levels, I love it. Rosie goes for a wander through the museum. On the surface a basic story, but this can help a youngster get more familiar with a spider and find humour in it's actions. It can be a wonderful way to explore Chicago's Field Museum, the additional information at the end about Spiders serves those who really like tarantulas as well as those just wanting to learn a little more. Beautifully illustrated with rhyming prose this is a book to read, re-read and treasure.