(Primary) Worm's good friend Spider (introduced in Diary of a Worm, rev. 11/03) here writes his own diary, showing our world from the arachnid point of view. Cronin spins a story with threads from the everyday world of a schoolchild (sleepovers, a trip to the park) woven into the physiology of a spider -- as when he brings his old molted skin for show-and-tell. In its own form of multiculturalism, this creepy-crawly world allows worms, spiders, and flies to be friends, but the relationships are not without their tensions -- Fly's mother, for example, doesn't like it when Fly gets stuck in Spider's web (""From now on, we have to play at Fly's house""). With warm, soft colors and playful expressions on each character, Bliss creates a landscape where even an old soda can (""Spider's Clubhouse"") appears cozy and welcoming. Visual jokes abound, as when Spider and his sister visit the park. Both the see saw and the tire swing ""didn't work"" (the pictures show the two tiny creatures unable to budge the gigantic equipment), but the huge web they spin on the water fountain did (""Eeeeek!"" screams the girl who gets stuck in it). Kid humor and spider humor (not to mention worm humor) seem remarkably similar, so expect this second Diary to be just as popular as the first. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 3-Told in the first person (or is that "first spider?), this is a clever peek into the life of an adolescent spider. Doreen Cronin's book (HarperCollins, 2005) offers an engaging protagonist who just happens to have eight legs. Through his diary we learn about spider school, molting, friendship travails, and important life lessons. There's a generous helping of wit here, and a lot of kid appeal. Harry Bliss not only created the hilarious watercolor illustrations, but also provides the narration for this production. He reads everything, including the back cover and the end papers, with tongue-in-cheek humor and excellent pacing. Occasional sound effects and music enhance the text. This is a delightful book that will charm listeners in this auditory format.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Cronin and Bliss repeat the comic ingredients that made Diary of a Worm so successful in this rib-tickling sequel. This time the diary is written by Worm's friend Spider and filled with similar verbal high jinks, deadpan humor and visual jokes that offer readers a whimsical glimpse of the world from a small creature's point of view. Endpapers feature photos of Spider's family as well as his favorite book (Charlotte's Web), his discovery of a "neat sculpture!" (a toilet bowl) and a playbill from his school's production of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" (a review blurb by Worm says, "You'll dig this play"). Children will relate to the book's droll humor, as when Spider goes to the park with his sister ("We tried the seesaw. It didn't work") or when he takes his molted skin for show-and-tell. A slight story line about the tension between Spider's friendship with Fly and his Grampa's prejudice against all six-legged bugs threads together the amusing vignettes. (When Grampa says, "Without spiders, insects could take over the world," Bliss features a menacing alien bug as President of the United States.) This endearing book delivers a gentle message that comes through when Spider muses, "I wish that people wouldn't judge all spiders based on the few spiders that bite. I know if we took the time to get to know each other, we would get along just fine. Just like me and Fly." Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it's his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte's Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family--which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: "Never fall asleep in a shoe.")--and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, "just like me and Fly," if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.