Spider and the Fly - by Mary Howitt (Hardcover)

About the Book

Breathing new life into Howitt's 175-year-old warning against those who use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions, DiTerlizzi draws inspiration from classic Hollywood movies for the dazzling silver-tinted illustrations in this monstrously entertaining picture book.

Book Synopsis

"'Will you walk into my parlor, '
said the Spider to the Fly..."
is easily one of the most recognized and quoted first lines in all of English verse. But do you have any idea how the age-old tale of the Spider and the Fly ends? Join celebrated artist Tony DiTerlizzi as he -- drawing inspiration from one of his loves, the classic Hollywood horror movies of the 1920s and 1930s -- shines a cinematic spotlight on Mary Howitt's warning, written to her own children about those who use sweet words to hide their not-so-sweet intentions.

Review Quotes

"A gleefully sinister fable that spins its tale like a great old silent film. The kind one might only see in a haunted nickelodeon. I love the beautiful, dramatic, black-and-white illustrations."--Lane Smith illustrator of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

"The most charming spider you'll ever dine with!"--Henry Selick director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach

About the Author

Mary Howitt was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1799. With her husband, William Howitt, she wrote more than 180 books, including the poem The Spider and the Fly: An Apologue: A New Version of an Old Story, which first appeared in The New Year's Gift.

#1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi has been creating children's books for over twenty years. From fanciful picture books like The Spider & the Fly to chapter book series like the Search for WondLa, DiTerlizzi imbues his stories with a rich imagination. With Holly Black, he created the middle grade series the Spiderwick Chronicles, which has sold 20 million copies, been adapted into a feature film, and been translated in over thirty countries. The Norman Rockwell Museum's exhibition "Never Abandon Imagination" featured artwork from the beginning of DiTerlizzi's career as a contributing artist for Dungeons & Dragons and broke attendance records. He has been featured in Time magazine and USA TODAY and on CNN, PBS, NPR, the BBC, and the Today show.