Books

Item Description

Sammy Spider and the Shapiro family have been teaching children about Jewish holidays and values for 20 years!

Josh Shapiro is a kind, smart Jewish boy who lives with his mother and father. Though he may not realize it, he lives with Sammy Spider, too. A bit precocious, Sammy is a happy and inquisitive spider. His curiosity about what Josh and his parents are doing sometimes gets him into jams. Sammy's mother is always there to guide the little spider and help him learn from his experiences.

First introduced to readers in 1993 in Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah, Sammy is now the star of 20 different picture books, including four different fun books filled with activities! He's so popular, that his books have been translated to French! He even has his very own haggadah! Sammy's many stories exemplify the experience of Jewish holidays and Jewish life for children, who share Sammy's eagerness for silliness, fun, and knowledge about the world around them.

The duo behind these books--author Sylvia Rouss and illustrator Katherine Janus Kahn--provide books that teach and inspire. Rouss, an early childhood educator, explains, "The children in my classroom have been my inspiration." This is obvious from her books' content, as Sammy's adventures not only bring forth the joys of Jewish life, but also provide a firm foundation of learning by incorporating important preschool concepts like colors, opposites, and numbers.

These books are included in this lot.

Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah

Sammy Spider watches longingly as Josh Shapiro lights another candle and receives another brightly-colored dreidel each night of Hanukkah.

Sammy Spider's First Day of School

The ever-curious Sammy Spider visits a Jewish preschool, where the teacher uses the story of Noah's Ark to engage the children in a discussion about "an important Jewish value"--kindness to animals.

Sammy Spider's First Tu B'Shevat

Spring is in the air and Sammy Spider watches as Josh Shapiro lowers the roots of a small tree into the ground. As spring turns to summer and summer to fall, Sammy watches Josh nurture the small tree as it sprouts tiny buds, then full blossoms, then colorful autumn leaves. Birds and squirrels come to visit the tree, and as autumn turns to winter, the leaves drop and the birds leave. Sammy worries as the tree shivers in the cold winter air. And then, as he practices weaving a new web, he gets an idea...

Sammy Spider's First Purim

Sammy Spider wants to help Josh get ready for Purim. Instead, he gets stuck inside a grogger. How will he escape?