The Hugely-Wugely Spider, an alternative nursery rhyme done right

There is a subversive charm to The Hugely-Wugely Spider that is obvious from its title. After reading the book you’ll discover even more charm, subversive mojo and a surprising amount of heartfelt warmth from its surly, curmudgeon title character. All small children know The Isty Bitsy Spider, but they demo out of it by the time they’re in Kindergarten or first grade.

Set in the world of The Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Hugely-Wugely Spider has always been playing second fiddle to certain spiders who can’t tell what the weather’s going to do and suffering the consequences for it. However, as Mitsy-Bitsy, Litsy-Bitsy, Witsy-Ditsy and other start to climb the waterspout it looks like Hugely Wugely has had enough.

 

She takes a running start to try and force her way into the waterspout, but she’s too big. The smaller spiders take no pity on her and put a sign outside of the waterspout stating that you must be this itsy-bitsy to enter, and she is not. And she’s totally fine with that has resigned herself to make a bug filled trap elsewhere, that is, until it starts to rain.

Everybody knows how the song goes and when the rain starts it’s only a matter of time before the little ones get flushed out, possibly getting hurt. Hugely-Wugely channels her inner Peter Parker and runs up the exterior of the waterspout to dam up its top, which would save the small spiders inside it who are seeking refuge.

The Hugely-Wugely Spider is a children’s book, even more so, it’s a children’s book that will entertain younger children as well as those through third grade. The older reach of the book is accomplished due to the surly attitude and humor that will speak to the older kids that read the book. Case in point is our 9 year old. He’s years past The Itsy Bitsy Spider, but still read this book and laughed out loud. He immediately understood the absurdity of the story and felt like a big kid as he was able to read a story that, in his mind, made fun of a classic nursery rhyme.

Even his 7 year old brother knew something was familiar, yet very different when we started reading the book. “Wait a minute…” he said, giving me a knowing glance that that this book was not the nursery rhyme he was expecting. He enjoyed it too; especially the fact that the story has just enough edge that a kid his age knew it wasn’t baby stuff, but still registered memories in his wheelhouse.

The Hugely-Wugely Spider is written by Ethan T. Berlin with illustrations by Karl Newsom Edwards.