The Itsy Bitsy Spider: The Legend Behind the Myth

“…and the Itsy Bitsy Spider went up the spout again.” But WHY?? Everyone knows the rhyme, but no one knows the real reason behind that infamous climb. Are you ready to learn the truth?

How did this picture book come to be?

So there I was, humming along to myself, er, I mean, singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider to my toddler…

Anyway I got to the end of a perfectly innocent run-through of those famous lyrics when I realized something. This spider is totally nuts. He’s just been washed all the way down a water spout, which must be absolutely harrowing, not to mention dangerous and depressing if his goal was to ever reach the top. But there he goes, right back up again before the last drops are even dry. I don’t know whether to pity or admire the gutsy arachnid.

Another thought occurred to me during that nursery rhyme deconstruction session.  I surely mustn’t be the only one who has ever wondered. The people deserve to know. So I inquired of IB Spider himself, and he enthusiastically dictated his side of the story, including an all-new verse to the song, and hired me to illustrate his explanation.  I am happy to announce that the mystery is now solved and immortalized for the enlightenment of future generations. No more will we judge harshly or jump to inaccurate conclusions about the little guy’s motives.