This is the story of a self-taught woman who learned to harvist the silk from spiders to make crosshairs for rifles. She found the best spiders for this were the Black Widow. She came up with a way to gather their silk webs without harming herself or the spider. With the help of others finding the spiders for her, she was able to collect enough spider silk to help the military in World War II.

I love these picture books, honoring unsung heroes, who so often are women, hidden in the background.

Kids, and adults should have fun seeing how she experimented, and studies on different spiders.

A truly amazing woman. And well illustrated.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published the 6th of May 2025.

I'd never heard of Nan Songer and I had no idea that spiders' silk was used in the war effort; I'm so glad I came across this book! There are so many fascinating facts about spiders and, despite her humility as described in the author's note, example after example of what a genius Songer really was. With gorgeous illustrations and quotes from Songer herself, this is a wonderful tribute to a definitely unsung hero.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is wonderful and it shows how someone can learn about nature by spending time observing something they really love. Most people are afraid of spiders but Nan Songer loved them, and she figured out how to take their silk. By using observation and trial and error, Nan found out how to get the different kinds of silk people needed and she recreated their natural environments to get the spiders to make the best silk.
It's also interesting that she was able to use the silk to help during the war, and she even got special permission to receive spiders in the mail because the nation needed her help.
This is a picture book and it's easy to read but I learned a lot. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A well-laid out book, if niche. The art is beautiful and it tells a story of a woman making an unusual contribution to the war effort. These stories are important to celebrate.

Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!