By: Becky Clifford
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Have you ever seen a spider’s web sparkling in the sunshine on a cold, frosty morning?
Have you ever wondered why we decorate Christmas trees with tinsel or strands of beads? It’s to remind us of a beautiful, frost-kissed spider’s web.
How does a spider’s web fit into the Christmas story? Read on to find out.
Becky’s childhood holidays were spent exploring England squished into a tiny car with her four siblings. One summer they went to Kent – ‘The Garden of England’. She was entranced by it and dreamed of living there.
In 2002, her dream became true when she moved to the lovely little market town of West Malling and later, in 2021, to the Kent coast.
Becky taught at a school for profoundly deaf children (where she first heard the story of The Spider and the Fly). Besides teaching, she was a company secretary, a gofer for a video production company and an academic registrar for a college of theology. She is also a licensed lay minister (which means she can do some things vicars do, but not all of them).
I loved the story of The Spider and the Fly - ideal for children to learn and enjoy. Can't wait to see more from this author.
I love the rhymes! And although I know the Christmas story so well this has a lovely surprise at the end....looking forward to sharing this with children here soon!
What a breath of fresh air! Beautifully illustrated with lilting, rhyming text and an unusual take on the Christmas story. I will enjoy sharing this with my goddaughter at Christmas.
The Spider & The Fly by Becky Clifford is a stunningly beautiful Christian Christmas book for young children. Becky Clifford has used Matthew 2 as a basis for her poem telling of the birth of Jesus, with the addition of a spider and a fly. It is a unique and very beautiful take on a familiar Bible story. It is a beautiful and memorable way to introduce Jesus to young children. As a grandparent, I am very familiar with the Christmas story, and I absolutely adored The Spider & The Fly.
The story is told through rhyming couplets, making it easy for children to anticipate what is coming next, and to join in, once they have heard the story a few times. It has a wonderful rhythmic bounce to the tale.
When we see the Wise Men or the Holy family, look very carefully as there will be a spider and/or a fly hidden somewhere within the illustrations. This makes the book interactive for young (and not so young) children.
Each page is beautifully illustrated and provides a starting point for discussions with our children.
At the end of the book is a simplified version of the Biblical story of Matthew 2 which we can read through with our children. There are also questions and answers, asking us to be a Bible detective.
The Spider & The Fly is absolutely beautiful and essential for any young child, to introduce them to Jesus. It is a beautiful heirloom to be passed down and to be read each year in the run up to Christmas so that our children know the real reason for the season.
Every early years classroom and Sunday school group should invest in a copy of The Spider & The Fly.
The Spider & The Fly is honestly one of the most beautiful books that I have seen.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
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