Wild GooseAgency

Hamilton Cesar Mendonça

Childrens' Picture Books · Book 3

Lily the Different Spider

Spiders are universally treated as scary, yet Lily is an instantly lovable protagonist.
Genre
Picture book
Rights available
World English / Translation / Film & TV
Audience
Ages 4-7
Word count
704 / 32 pages
Themes
Rejection

Synopsis


In the spider kingdom, young Lily Brown doesn't fit in. While her teacher, Mrs. Turner, tries to drill the class on standard web weaving, Lily is caught blissfully knitting pairs of colourful wool socks.


Labelled a troublemaker and rejected by her peers, a heartbroken Lily runs away into the dark forest. There, she meets the intimidating Mr. Scrugger, a giant fluffy spider who takes her in.

Author's Note

Lily, the Different Spider
This story came from two very personal experiences: my own fear of spiders and my experience of feeling different. Through Lily, I wanted children to look beyond appearances and discover that our differences can become our greatest strengths. It's also a story about acceptance, bullying, and having the courage to be yourself.