Gregory the Spider: Romping Through the Year

Meyer brings back the spider and mouse family previously seen in Merry Stirring Mice: Santa’s Secret Team in a tour of the seasons set to the tune of “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” The song repeats three times as Meyer moves through the months, each of which gets its own spread, highlighting holidays and seasonal changes. “Out came the sun and dried up all the snow./ Then April wind and showers/ began to blow and blow,” writes Meyer as Saumell shows a leprechaun looking on grumpily while Gregory juggles his gold; on the following spread, the mice make their way through a rainstorm under umbrellas made from flowers and acorn caps. Saumell’s illustrations have a painterly and almost three-dimensional presence, though Gregory, with his oversize green eyes, looks out of place and cartoonish among the other characters. The images are packed with details, however, and a closing list highlights items and animals for readers to seek out, along with the names of the months, which are hidden in the images. It’s a cheery jaunt through the months of the year. Ages 4–8. (BookLife) Correction: An earlier version of this review contained a typographical error and misstated the title of the author's previous book.