Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider

by Jessica Lanan, Jessica Lanan (Illustrator)

Overview

A Sibert Honor book

From critically acclaimed illustrator of The Lost Package comes a bold nonfiction story following a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider - meticulously researched and utterly charming.

What if you were small as a bean,

Could walk on the walls and ceiling,

Sense vibrations through your elbows,

And jump five times your body length?

That is Jumper's world.

Open this book to discover the vibrant, hidden life of a backyard jumping spider.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250810366
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jessica Lanan has long been enchanted by the mysteries of the cosmos. Exoplanets are too far away for her to visit, but illustrating them is the next best thing. Jessica currently lives in her native state of Colorado with her husband, three-legged cat, and baby daughter, who was born during the making of Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet.

Jessica's illustrations can also be found in Finding Narnia: The Story of C. S. Lewis and His Brother, The Lost Package, and Jumper.

Jessica Lanan has long been enchanted by the mysteries of the cosmos. Exoplanets are too far away for her to visit, but illustrating them is the next best thing. Jessica currently lives in her native state of Colorado with her husband, three-legged cat, and baby daughter, who was born during the making of Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet.

Jessica's illustrations can also be found in Finding Narnia: The Story of C. S. Lewis and His Brother, The Lost Package, and Jumper.

Editorial Reviews

*A Sibert Honor Book*

*Four starred reviews*

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year

Booklist Editors' Choice

A Bank Street Best Book of the Year

Nominated for the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award

★ "Readers will leap for this magnificent glimpse at a most marvelous arachnid." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "An exceptionally empathetic exploration of the natural world sure to inspire new arachnid allies." - Booklist, starred review

★ "An immersive exploration of a common jumping spider’s abilities and physical traits." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "An accessible and thought-provoking title that connects readers to the world of a spider through engagement and education." - School Library Journal, starred review

"Simple but cinematic...satisfyingly dramatic." - BCCB

"Lush and dramatic." - Hornbook Magazine

An NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students

An ALSC Notable Children's Book

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

An Evanston Public Library Great Book for Kids

From the Publisher

★ 2023-01-25
Imagine the life of a common jumping spider!

Framed as a child’s efforts to understand what it might be like to be a regal jumper, the narrative explores the movements of the creature (referred to as Jumper); how she senses vibrations through her knees and elbows, hears, and sees; and her actions as she avoids predators and captures prey. There are two levels of text here, but in a reversal of what many nonfiction books do, the storyline is carried in the smaller print. The lines in larger print summarize what’s been described, working like retrospective section headings. The framing story, told mainly in the ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations, centers on a visit to a community garden by a child with braids and tan skin. What makes this particularly appealing is that the child’s pictured actions­—climbing, jumping, listening, looking, and finding food—mirror the spider’s. Most spectacular is the magnified close-up of the spider catching her prey, a fly. Throughout, imagination has been harnessed to engage with the natural world without anthropomorphism. Two backmatter spreads provide far more detail about the anatomy and life cycle of this spider family, a glossary, helpful hints for finding and identifying spiders, an author’s note, further resources, and an important plea not to kill these valuable creatures. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Readers will leap for this magnificent glimpse at a most marvelous arachnid. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews