School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A clever and amusing twist on the familiar rhyme. Itsy is creeping up the waterspout when it starts to pour, and, naturally, she gets soaked as she is washed to the ground. "`Yikes,' said the spider./`I've got to use my brain/And figure out a way/To not get wet again.'" She crawls to the corner store, hoping to trade a dead fly for a cover to keep her dry. When the clerk, a dog, turns her down, Itsy offers another suggestion: "I can catch your fleas and/Help you with the store." A deal is struck and the spider earns enough money for a brightly striped umbrella. Harper uses the first two lines of the traditional nursery rhyme and then switches to her own words, keeping the meter consistent throughout. The acrylic-and-pencil illustrations are quirky, and the backgrounds, as well as the characters, are decorated with small geometric patterns that give depth to the artwork. Itsy has big buggy eyes, full red lips, and a little purse with polka dots. This book will make a fun read-aloud for children familiar with the original verse.-Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
The wee arachnid of nursery-rhyme fame has an epiphany: ""'Yikes!... / I've got to use my brain / and figure out a way / to not get wet again!'"" She saves enough money helping out at the corner store to buy herself something useful: an umbrella. Both setup and punch line work, and the tidy, playful images feature smart and unusual muted-color combinations. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
The Itsy Bitsy spider has, at last, found some gumption. No longer one to be washed out by the rain, this savvy spinner weaves a plan. Maintaining the cadence and rhyme, what begins just like the nursery song veers away from the model right after washing the spider out. This prettily done-up little arachnid wants to figure out a way to stay dry. With ingenuity and tenacity Itsy Bitsy sets out to rectify her situation. She winds up having to get a job catching fleas (a dab of ick to delight the wee ones) for a doggy-shop clerk. While swinging around the store and offering customer service, Itsy saves all her pennies in a yellow cup until she has enough to buy her rainy-day remedy. The custard colors add flavor to the lively illustrations with amusing and decorative details. Formatted perfectly, this spirited take on a much-loved classic doesn't diminish the original, but gives it a fresh, fanciful spin. Young readers will enjoy them both. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
