Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid World War II Army

Description: "Here is the story of Nan Songer, a little-known hero of World War II, who collected and bred spiders in her home and found new ways to use their silk to help the United States win the war."--Provided by publisher.

Review Quotes: "A self-taught scientist rose to the challenge when World War II increased demand for spider silk. Klostermann's brief, engrossing text eschews typical biographical information (Nan's birthplace, education), focusing instead on her subject's fascinating work. Lambelet's meticulously detailed sepia and teal art vividly depicts Nan in pursuit of her passionate vocation. Weaves an impressive story of arachnid accomplishment."--Kirkus Reviews

"With a palette plucked from nature, this educational picture book spins the tale of an unsung hero of WWII."--Foreword Reviews

"The prospect of using spider silk for anything but weaving webs will fascinate young readers, and Songer's creative efforts to collect the silk with homemade contraptions will easily hold their attention... An intriguing snapshot of the intersection of human invention and the natural world, perfect for STEM collections."--Booklist

"Neither my son nor I had any idea that one could farm spiders for their silk, let alone that this silk could be useful for military operations, so this book piqued our attention. Songer's story turned out to be so unusual and fascinating that we were left wondering why it is not better known today... Gorgeous illustrations by Anne Lambelet are very helpful for conveying the natural beauty of various spider types as well as complicated concepts, such as the various devices Songer designed to farm her spiders, immobilize them, and safely extract their precious silk. Once my second grader started reading the book, he couldn't put it down and concluded that it was interesting and 'very cool.' This adult reviewer concurs and also couldn't help secretly wondering whether it might be fun to have some arachnid pets."--Science