Itsy Bitsy Spider

by Jane Cabrera

Overview

Wheeeee! Come and play for a day at the Itsy Bitsy Splishy Splashy Bug Water park in this energetic reimagining of a favorite nursery rhyme in Jane Cabrera’s Story Time Collection.

Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the water spout.
Down came the rain and washed the spider out.

Itsy Bitsy Spider found it so much fun.
He asked all his friends if they would come along!

Itsy Bitsy Spider can’t wait for the rain to come down—that’s when he gets to ride his bug water slide! But not all of his bug friends know how to swim. They’ll have to put their heads together to dream up a different way to have fun. Jane Cabrera accompanies this sing-along classic with upbeat illustrations and cheerful text that will have young readers and parents eagerly turning the pages.

Jane Cabrera's Story Time celebrates children's best-loved read-along nursery rhymes and songs. These interactive favorites are given a new twist by award-winning artist Jane Cabrera and feature her bold, bright, kid-friendly illustrations. Other titles in the series include The Wheels on the Bus, Old Mother Hubbard, Old MacDonald Had a Farm, and more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823459605
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Series:	Jane Cabrera's Story Time
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Jane Cabrera is a designer and fine artist, as well as the author and illustrator of almost 60 books for children. She specializes in fresh reimaginings of nursery rhymes and fairy tales; Publishers Weekly has said "her style exudes the joy of creation." She lives beside Dartmoor National Park in South Devon, England.

Editorial Reviews

There’s no shortage of versions of this nursery rhyme, but Cabrera’s choice to build on the story, the themes of kindness and inclusion, and the delightful, kid-friendly art make this one special. It’s a strong read-aloud option, with illustrations that will show well at a distance for classroom or library audiences—and the titular spider’s so fetching that even avowed arachnophobes will change their tune. Blends appealing art with gentle rhymes for storytime magic.
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2025-04-19
A smiling arachnid surfs a drainpipe surge.

The fuzzy, chunky, charcoal-gray spider’s admiring audience gathers: A pastel-pink-striped worm peers curiously, while an adult and child beetle look on as they shelter from the rain under a red-and-white-spotted mushroom. More friends arrive, among them a blue-shelled snail and a ladybug, and the gleeful Itsy Bitsy Spider invites them all to join in the fun. But after they sensibly realize that this is a potentially perilous game and decline, Itsy Bitsy becomes sad. Admirably sensitive to their friend’s feelings, the critters “put their heads together” and cleverly adapt a leaf to serve as an “Itsy Bitsy boat.” Not only can they all have fun together, but their collective creative powers also lead to the surprise appearance of a Bug Water Park, with a long spiral slide and other pleasures. A rainbow collection of pastel flowers and gigantic mushrooms forms a pleasing backdrop in this close-up garden excursion. Cabrera employs a naïve style, with thin layers of color. There’s no shortage of versions of this nursery rhyme, but Cabrera’s choice to build on the story, the themes of kindness and inclusion, and the delightful, kid-friendly art make this one special. It’s a strong read-aloud option, with illustrations that will show well at a distance for classroom or library audiences—and the titular spider’s so fetching that even avowed arachnophobes will change their tune.

Blends appealing art with gentle rhymes for storytime magic.(Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews