SuitabookWalter's Wonderful Web
Tim Hopgood
- Reading
- Read aloud with the repeated “whoosh” moments, pause to trace or name each shape, then use the closing activity. Afterwards, look for real webs while distinguishing observation from fantasy.
- Themes
- Persistence after setbacks: Walter’s traditional webs repeatedly blow away; he tries webs in several shapes, nearly gives up, then continues thinking about what he has made. Persistence is presented positively through Walter’s continued attempts and eventual creation of a wonderful web.
- Shapes and imagination: Walter spins triangular, square, rectangular, diamond-shaped and circular webs before making a final spectacular web; an end activity asks children to identify shapes and count sides. Shapes are used as a concept-learning focus, though the web designs are imaginative rather than a reliable picture of real spider webs.
- Worth knowing
- One point to notice is the tension between the book’s shape-learning purpose and its fanciful web outcome. If your child expects nature information, explain that Walter’s final web is imaginative.