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Anyone here love subversive picture books? Got a new one for you today.
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Look at that hardworking newsboy. It’s his job to bring the town of Bad Göodsburg their daily news. What a name!
The newsboy also does all of the other less-than-glamorous jobs in town, chimney sweep, show shiner, and milkman. I love the sentence:
He was assured by the townspeople that this was a fair arrangement.
What subtle wording! This is where readers stop and reassess what is being said with what is happening behind the scenes.
Things in happy-go-lucky Bad Göodsburg take a turn for the worse when the news breaks that the town’s wishing well is broken. Wishes are NOT coming true! Townspeople are not only unhappy, they make a STINK about how their very important wishes aren’t coming true.
The doctor says that he wished to cure every illness. The shopkeepers says that she wished that no one would ever be sad again. And the baker says that he wished for an endless supply of bread to feed everyone forever.
The newsboy’s tearful image as he hears listens to the generosity of their wishes is juxtaposed against this facing page.
The townspeople not only blame the messenger, they also think he should be the one to investigate the well. Why? Because they don’t feel like doing it themselves. I don’t know about you all, but I’m not sure I’d want to live in this town. I might be tempted to hop in the car with this newsboy and head to a place where people are a little nicer.
The newsboy heads off to investigate the well. Given the title of the book, we know what the newsboy will find. However, when we also find out the truth behind the townspeople’s wishes, the plot thickens. What follows is very interesting food for discussion about what constitutes justice.
Love the striking color palette, use of silent film formatting, and subtle wording. Plus, the eyes of that spider and the townspeoples’ faces speak volumes! A great book for learning about visual irony, interpreting expressions and comparing them to what’s actually being said.
Activities:
Make an origami spider.
Pair this book with The Fate of Fausto by Oliver Jeffers and with It Fell From the Sky by Terry and Eric Fan. Compare the similarities and differences between the books. How are the illustration styles similar or different? Why do you think the authors chose the style they used? For kids who are learning the term “metaphor,” how is the spider possibly a metaphor for greed?
Incorporate Edutopia’s suggestions into your lesson plans on justice/injustice. You can discuss what kids think justice and fairness looks like at school, including issues like cutting in line, taking turns, sharing, including everyone in games, etc.
Title: Spider in the Well
Author/Illustrator: Jess Hannigan
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins, 2024)
Ages: Pre-K through elementary
Themes: justice, fairness, fables
For more perfect picture book recommendations, please visit Susanna Hill’s website.