A Year and a Day – Issue 23: Spiders & Webs

Welcome the fall with an exploration into the web-filled world of spiders in the autumn issue of A Year and a Day. Although sometimes people find spiders spooky, as we begin to understand and learn about these amazing creatures, our fears start to fade. Spiders spin their threads in silence and with much patience and care, they build homes that shimmer in the morning dew, delicate and strong at the same time.

In this issue, we follow the thread through stories spun long ago. Through three stories from around the world, readers will learn about the folklore and symbols of spiders: The Spider’s Thread: A tale from Japan, Anansi and the Box of Stories: A folktale from Ghana, and Athena and Arachne: A myth from Ancient Greece.

This issue will guide you through many fun and creative activities. By the time you finish this magazine, you’ll have folded a spider from a single piece of paper, built a cardboard loom and woven a colorful coaster, and even created a soft, tent-like shelter using old cloth and string, woven together just like a web in the trees. All of these activities will illuminate how the world of spiders is so much more fascinating than frightening.