Incy Wincy Spider Illustrated by Karen Erasmus

A review by Nalini Haynes

• Publisher: Hachette Childrens
• ISBN: 9780734415486
• Binding/Format: Hardback
• Extent: 24 pages
• Subject Category: Picture books

Remember the nursery rhyme Incy Wincy Spider? I remember singing it at crèche; it had LOTS of verses that I don’t remember as well as the classic first verse you might recall. ‘Incy’ is a bit like Australia’s national anthem: we rhubarb most of it and remember key bits.

Karen has modernised and lengthened Incy Wincy Spider with a little text and adorable illustrations to delight babies through to early primary school. Karen’s artwork exuberantly illustrates this story in Australia complete with a spider on the toilet seat and a verandah embracing a house in what appears to be a rural setting.

My only concern is the fancy text set on artistic curves will be difficult for beginning readers.

I highly recommend Incy Wincy Spider for little children and the ‘oldies’ in their lives who read to them.

Related:

Raven’s Head by Karen Maitland Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly Trouble at Home by Cate Whittle, illustrated by Kim Gamble