Seaver the Weaver

by Paul Czajak, The Brothers Hilts (Illustrator)

Overview

Seaver is an orb spider with a sky full of inspiration. His siblings prefer tradition and aren’t afraid to let him know. But Seaver doesn’t mind! He loves his new shapes and isn’t afraid to stand out. Told with quiet charm, this picture book tangles readers in a web of delight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938063572
Publisher:	Mighty Media, Inc.
Publication date:	03/17/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	2 - 6 Years

About the Author

Paul Czajak got an F with the words “get a tutor” on his college writing paper and after that, never thought he’d become a writer. But after spending twenty years as a chemist, he knew his creativity could no longer be contained. Living in Massachusetts with his wife, and two little monsters, Paul has rediscovered his passion for writing and looks forward to sharing his stories for years to come.

The Brothers Hilts are Ben and Sean. They work as a team illustrating, designing, and constantly comparing to see whose ideas are better. Sean went to Rhode Island School of Design, and Ben went to Cooper Union in New York City. They now live and work in Cambridge, MA.

Editorial Reviews

02/23/2015
Inspired by the patterns he sees in the stars in the sky, a newborn orb spider named Seaver confounds his fellow arachnids by spinning triangular, square, and hexagonal webs, rather than round ones. Using repetition and understated humor, Czajak (the Monster and Me series) reveals that Seaver's innovations are about more than just artistic expression—they also get results. "I'll try harder next time, but first I must tend to my guest," says Seaver, making his way toward a fly caught in his web; meanwhile, the other spiders' webs are "round, flawless, and empty." In illustrations dominated by mustard yellows and midnight blues, the Hilts (The Insomniacs) use overlapping, screenprintlike textures to suggest a loose, naturalistic setting. Most of Seaver's work takes place against a full moon that gently glows with crayony pink lines, and during the day, the other spiders cluster together on green ovoid leaves. Eventually, the other (very hungry) spiders recognize the value of Seaver's geometric experimentation, and, luckily for them, he isn't just creative, but magnanimous, too. It's a stylish and clever ode to the value of trying new things. Ages 2–6. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Gelett Burgess Children's Book Award Winner for Arts & Letters: Picture Storybooks—Preschool

Foreword Review's IndieFab Book of the Year Award Honorable Mention in Children's: Picture Books

"This is a great book to reinforce the concepts of shapes or introduce arachnids. The illustrations are filled with serious-faced spiders and delightful nighttime backgrounds with glimpses of the nighttime sky. Enlarged fonts are sprinkled throughout the text, asking the question, 'What is that?' in response to each of Seaver’s creations. That inventive font is just right and, by itself, brings a smile to readers’ faces. VERDICT This sweet book is an excellent choice for children’s collections."—School Library Journal

"Ever heard of the publisher Mighty Media Kids? Well, if this book is any indication they might be one to watch. The Brothers Hilts did that lovely little book The Insomniacs a couple years ago and then were never heard from again. This book, about a spider that thinks outside the web, makes good use of their skills. Particularly the parts where Seaver must attend to this 'guest'."—A Fuse #8 Production Blog, School Library Journal

"An artistic arachnid named Seaver uses his spidey senses to spin webs inspired by the stars, but his brothers and sisters are less than impressed with his unusual creations. Author Paul Czajak has woven a tale that not only teaches tots about basic shapes but also reminds us all to embrace our differences."—Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine

"Using repetition and understated humor, Czajak (the Monster and Me series) reveals that Seaver's innovations are about more than just artistic expression—they also get results. ... It's a stylish and clever ode to the value of trying new things."—Publishers Weekly

"...young readers with artistic visions of their own will applaud Seaver's successful paradigm change. A salutary tribute to the benefits of thinking outside the orb."—Kirkus Reviews

"The simple, bold illustrations add just the right touch to this storybook celebration of dreams, creativity, and independence."—Children's Bookwatch: April 2015, Midwest Book Review

"This book contains so many of the elements that I look for in good children’s literature, including a. a character overcoming an obstacle and being true to themselves, b. the right amount of repetition throughout the story which builds to change in the end, c. GREAT vocabulary words ... The story captures the experience of childhood, when kids are still learning who they are, making the book hyper relatable."—Baby Bookish

"I love reading this story to my son at night. It gives us a few laughs, reinforces geometry and important life lessons, inspires some great questions and observations, but makes us feel quiet and content at the end. From the dedication to the last sentence, the whole experience of reading this book feels wholly and perfectly complete."—The Picture Book Review

"From the beginning I was drawn in by the richness of color and poignant sentences that spun a story of whimsy and creative artistry. ... Seaver is a strong character and this story will become a all-time favorite. Czajak and the Brothers Hilts definitely scored a touchdown with this book."—Laticia Overton, contributor for Examiner.com

"A fun story about being unique and staying true to who you are."—KidsBookshelf

"What I especially love about the story of Seaver the Weaver is that kids are introduced to various shapes as they read through the adorable story. So great for preschoolers and early elementary readers!”—The Simple Moms

"This book touches on themes of embracing all your differences, being unique and celebrating your individuality, following your dreams. Maybe your own child will look up into the night sky and weave themselves a unique dream of greatness just like Seaver!”—Diapers & Daydreams

"Mr. Czajak has written a beautiful book that makes you feel good about being you. Seaver ultimately shows that being unique instead of perfect is a better option.”—This Kid Reviews Books

"Seaver the Weaver is written by the same author of the Monster & Me™ books, and he has woven a wonderful web of words. The illustrations are simple, childlike and beautiful. This is a fun book!”—ACS Reader’s Haven Reviews

The Insomniacs reviews:

"These illustrations are my favorite kind—offbeat. This is a good choice for that young reader you know who has very much had it with cutesy, pink, glittery picture books."—Kirkus Reviews

"... a touch here of quirkiness ... with Tim Burton as master of ceremonies. But that doesn’t lessen the kooky ... charms of the magnificent pencil-and-charcoal illustrations by the Brothers Hilts, two real brothers, Ben and Sean, who collaborate as a design and illustration team."—The New York Times

"The Hilts’ grainy illustrations allow for the eerie ... and the dim ambience challenges human eyesight, yet their inky pared-down palette is enticing. Where most picture books say goodnight, this unusual entry gives the go-ahead to stay up late."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

07/01/2015
K-Gr 2—Seaver is an orb weaver spider who spins to a different tune than his other spider friends. Inspired by the nighttime constellations, Seaver is not satisfied to make circular webs. The other spiders criticize his webs and suggest he learn to make an orb web. But, even though Seaver makes webs in triangles and hexagons and squares, his creations catch more insects than the orbs that the other spiders spin. His creativity is so rewarded with bountiful cuisine that the other hungry orb spiders beg him to teach them his special techniques. This is a great book to reinforce the concepts of shapes or introduce arachnids. The illustrations are filled with serious-faced spiders and delightful nighttime backgrounds with glimpses of the nighttime sky. Enlarged fonts are sprinkled throughout the text, asking the question, "What is that?" in response to each of Seaver's creations. That inventive font is just right and, by itself, brings a smile to readers' faces. VERDICT This sweet book is an excellent choice for children's collections.—Mary Hazelton, formerly at Warren & Waldoboro Elementary Schools, ME

School Library Journal

2015-01-10
A web designer of the eight-legged sort experiments with geometric shapes in the face of pressure from his many conformist sibs.Being an orb spider, Seaver should weave round webs—but patterns in the starry sky inspire him to try out in succession a triangle, a square and a hexagon. Sitting on their perfect but empty round webs, the other spiders make critical comments as Seaver's open-centered creations quickly (if counterintuitively) snag a series of bugs. "I will try harder next time," he promises repeatedly. "But first I must tend to my guest." The illustrations, which resemble paper collages on unevenly colored backdrops of either dark blue or mustard brown, feature spiders with faces human enough to include a view of Seaver smiling and licking his chops as he goes to "tend" an insect "guest." After Seaver's latest web, a combination of shapes, snags a swarm of mosquitoes, starvation brings the other spiders around to asking Seaver to teach them how to weave "such marvelous shapes," and the episode closes with a buggy banquet. Though the patterned prose is stiff as a board ("I like my web. It is unique"), young readers with artistic visions of their own will applaud Seaver's successful paradigm change. A salutary tribute to the benefits of thinking outside the orb. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews