What do you think?
Rate this book
The Weaver
Stanley is a spider, a weaver and a collector. On his web he collects seeds, twigs, leaves and all kinds of precious things he cannot name. Stanley is very proud of his collection, but what can one tiny spider do when it is washed away? In this stunning, deceptively simple and thoughtful debut from animator, illustrator and writer Qian Shi we discover the difference between what you collect in the world and what you collect in your heart.'Shi integrates facts about the natural world with this unusual arachnid adventure to great effect, underscoring the fragility of life and habitats in the natural world.' Irish Times
32 pages, Paperback
Published April 2, 2020
26 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 19, 2018
There's a lot to love in this debut picture book from Qian Shi, not in the least her fine and delicate artwork that sings of heart and love. The titular weaver is Stanley the spider who collects things and keeps them in his web. One day, his collection is washed away...
Where this book shines is in the artwork. There's a sort of animated edge to Shi's work, that roundness of line and that vibrancy of colour that makes many of these pages into something quite special. I'm always partial to a book that does something with endpapers, and even more partial with a book that does something good with endpapers, and these are subtle and wonderfully handled here. I'm also very fond of the balance here between double page spreads and multiple beats on the same page: this is a book which is almost filmic in its structure, with the storyboard of images and text working together so very nicely.
The story itself is simple, teaching children that they can hold onto the memory of something even when the thing itself is not there. There's an obvious applicability towards grief and loss towards such a narrative, but this is also maybe a book to trot out when the favourite toy goes missing or when a big life change is about to occur. Shi's text is sensitive, gently paced and restrained, knowing when to step back and let that fine and heartfelt artwork shine through. A charming, rather beautiful and rather evocative book.
My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.
Where this book shines is in the artwork. There's a sort of animated edge to Shi's work, that roundness of line and that vibrancy of colour that makes many of these pages into something quite special. I'm always partial to a book that does something with endpapers, and even more partial with a book that does something good with endpapers, and these are subtle and wonderfully handled here. I'm also very fond of the balance here between double page spreads and multiple beats on the same page: this is a book which is almost filmic in its structure, with the storyboard of images and text working together so very nicely.
The story itself is simple, teaching children that they can hold onto the memory of something even when the thing itself is not there. There's an obvious applicability towards grief and loss towards such a narrative, but this is also maybe a book to trot out when the favourite toy goes missing or when a big life change is about to occur. Shi's text is sensitive, gently paced and restrained, knowing when to step back and let that fine and heartfelt artwork shine through. A charming, rather beautiful and rather evocative book.
My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.
March 3, 2019
The pictures are so sweet and I love any chance to read about cute spiders (though I despise them in real life).
March 31, 2018
Shi, Qian The Weaver PICTURE BOOK Anderson Press (Lerner), 2018. $18. Content: G. 978-1-541-51454-6
Stanley is a spider who has found the perfect spot to call home. As he goes about making his web, he starts to add leaves, flowers and buttons to his collection on his web. When a storm comes through and blows Stanley’s collection away, it makes him sad at first, but then he decides to re-do his web and he designs his web with the look of his flowers and treasures.
The illustrations in this book are adorable. Cute Stanley and his spidery legs give him a lot of character and the colors used make the pictures appealing. There is one simple line of text per page spread, making it a fast and easy read. The message that sometimes we lose the physical things we love, but we can always remember them in our hearts is subtle but well done.
EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
Stanley is a spider who has found the perfect spot to call home. As he goes about making his web, he starts to add leaves, flowers and buttons to his collection on his web. When a storm comes through and blows Stanley’s collection away, it makes him sad at first, but then he decides to re-do his web and he designs his web with the look of his flowers and treasures.
The illustrations in this book are adorable. Cute Stanley and his spidery legs give him a lot of character and the colors used make the pictures appealing. There is one simple line of text per page spread, making it a fast and easy read. The message that sometimes we lose the physical things we love, but we can always remember them in our hearts is subtle but well done.
EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Reviewer, C. Peterson.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...
July 12, 2018
I have arachnophobia, so you'd think I'd stay far away from a book like this! But I actually love picture books that help make spiders cute and loveable. It hasn't cured me yet, but books like this might help young children get over their fear of spiders, or even better, teach them to love spiders before any fear sets in.
The artwork here is very nice - Stanley is so cute, even reminiscent of Miyazaki's soot sprites! And the story holds a gentle lesson about treasuring your memories, even when physical things don't last.
Pair this with I'm Trying to Love Spiders and Aaaarrgghh! Spider! for any child who needs help overcoming their fear.
The artwork here is very nice - Stanley is so cute, even reminiscent of Miyazaki's soot sprites! And the story holds a gentle lesson about treasuring your memories, even when physical things don't last.
Pair this with I'm Trying to Love Spiders and Aaaarrgghh! Spider! for any child who needs help overcoming their fear.
October 22, 2019
Some bugs are downright cuddly.
As soon as I met Stanley, I wanted to give him a gentle hug. He was such a warm and friendly little spider that I liked him immediately even though I’m a little afraid of his species in real life. It was fascinating to watch him build his web and collect all sorts of treasures in it as time went by. I wanted nothing but the best for him.
The ending didn’t quite make sense to me. After his web was destroyed by a strong rainstorm, Stanley rebuilt it. What happened after that felt slightly out of place in the storyline. While I understood what the author was attempting to say, I suspect his point would be harder to grasp for preschoolers. It would have been nice to have a more concrete explanation of what he was trying to do there given the fact that he was writing for such a young audience, and I’m saying this as someone who enjoyed everything else about it quite a bit.
I loved the message of this tale. It was never heavy-handed, but it did make its point clear to the audience as the plot unfolded. There’s something to be said for story books that have a lesson to teach, especially if they always do so in a way that feels genuine. It was like listening to a friend talk about how their day had gone. The message was unmistakable, but the journey to reach that point was even more important than where Stanley and the reader ended up in the final scene.
Anyone who likes spiders should check out The Weaver.
As soon as I met Stanley, I wanted to give him a gentle hug. He was such a warm and friendly little spider that I liked him immediately even though I’m a little afraid of his species in real life. It was fascinating to watch him build his web and collect all sorts of treasures in it as time went by. I wanted nothing but the best for him.
The ending didn’t quite make sense to me. After his web was destroyed by a strong rainstorm, Stanley rebuilt it. What happened after that felt slightly out of place in the storyline. While I understood what the author was attempting to say, I suspect his point would be harder to grasp for preschoolers. It would have been nice to have a more concrete explanation of what he was trying to do there given the fact that he was writing for such a young audience, and I’m saying this as someone who enjoyed everything else about it quite a bit.
I loved the message of this tale. It was never heavy-handed, but it did make its point clear to the audience as the plot unfolded. There’s something to be said for story books that have a lesson to teach, especially if they always do so in a way that feels genuine. It was like listening to a friend talk about how their day had gone. The message was unmistakable, but the journey to reach that point was even more important than where Stanley and the reader ended up in the final scene.
Anyone who likes spiders should check out The Weaver.
February 17, 2019
Cute picture book about Stanley the spider's quest to hold onto his found object collection in his web when the rain comes. He discovers that keeping the memory of the objects makes him just as happy as having them (which feels like a very Marie Kondo attitude.) Illustrations have adorable cartoony insect characters and lovely pastel plants set over lush watercolor backgrounds of the sky at different times of the day. My only gripe is there's one page where the phrasing just feels awkward and the way it's set against the images feels equally so. Would be fun to read with kids to see if they can track the objects to the woven images of them in the web.
For children's lit class.
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019: a book with a plant in the title or on the cover
For children's lit class.
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019: a book with a plant in the title or on the cover
January 6, 2020
This one was read over and over and over again because my boy loved it so much. The story follows a little spider at the beginning of his journey through his enjoyment in collecting things and pride of his collection until a storm takes it all way. His solution at the end is adorable and then he is on to new things!
April 27, 2018
This beautifully illustrated picture book details a young spider setting out into the world and learning how to capture contentment in the face of change and loss. Specifically it discusses letting go of things.
October 15, 2019
A cute spider collects treasures from nature and tries to incorporate all of them in his web. The pictures are sweet, and the color motifs are really pretty, like a piece of stationery. Mostly it's just cute seeing a friendly little spider doin' his thing.
February 18, 2018
A spider takes pride in things he collects.
April 4, 2018
The skills and adventures of a spider, all wrapped up in a children's book. Check it out!!
April 30, 2018
A sweet book that will charm even the most intense arachnophobes. In this gentle story, a cute spider learns to make the best of things when a windstorm blows away his leaf collection.
June 18, 2018
Really would work well for a read-aloud. Sweet illustrations and story.
June 20, 2018
This book was a lot of fun. It's wistful and lovely, but the story is there and obvious. The illustrations complement the story wonderfully.
August 19, 2018
cute, well done
October 4, 2018
Such cute illustrations. Tells both about the spider and how they build their webs and a message of perseverance
December 4, 2018
Adorable illustrations and cute story.
December 7, 2018
Gorgeous story about spiders and webs. Will read for toddler/preschool ST.
December 31, 2018
My question is, how do I get the spiders around my house to find a different adventure away from me?
December 28, 2020
Cute! Lovely. I had an enchanting time reading this.
Read
February 1, 2022Simple, short, great illustrations. About the impermanence of life.
June 11, 2025
Holt-Delhi library PJ story time 06-11-2025
December 26, 2018
Such a nice message, the illustrations are simple and direct too.
May 28, 2018
Enjoyed for storytime, pulls a little older than I’d expected but still good for 3-K. 3.5 stars for the beautiful illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews